Secrets of the Triforce
by sansastarkmustdie
Summary: Zant and Ganondorf have both been vanquished. Link tries to return to his life as a goatherder but Zelda has other plans for him. This multi-chapter story takes place shortly after the events of Twilight Princess. Warning: This story contains sexual content, some of which is graphic.
1. Chapter 1

"Hiya!" shouted Link as he rode Epona, chasing goats into the barn. His work for today was almost done. All he had left to do was get two more goats into the barn. Herding goats took his mind off of the whirlwind of trouble he had narrowly defeated on the grassy plains of Hyrule field. The look in Ganondorf's eyes as Link drove the Master Sword through his chest haunted Link's nightmares. Ganondorf swore vengeance, and despite him supposedly being dead, Link believed him.

Between Zant and Ganondorf, Link's peaceful life in Ordon Village had been turned upside down. Thankfully, it was just now beginning to return to normal. The children of the village had been reunited with their parents, and they were spreading tales to the villagers about the beasts from the Twilight Realm that they had encountered, not to mention the horrible monsters of Ganondorf's army. Those hideous beings disturbed people more than the Twilight Realm beasts. Worse yet, if monsters could suddenly invade Hyrule out of nowhere once, it could happen again. That more than anything kept Link awake at night. Another invasion could come when it was least expected, and Link would still be herding goats. He reached for his scabbard to feel the reassuring hilt of the Master Sword in his hand, but it wasn't there. He had to remind himself that he had sealed that sword away in the Temple of Time.

The last two goats bumped into each other as they ran into the barn entrance. Satisfied that his work was done, Link guided Epona over the fence to Ordon Ranch and headed home. He politely waved to Colin, who was practicing with a wooden sword near Link's house. The boy had changed from quiet and shy to annoying and boisterous since Link had saved him the being abducted a second time in Kakriko Village. Link quickly climbed the ladder to his house before Colin could start running his mouth.

Link shut the door behind him and kicked off his boots. He had the strange sensation that he wasn't alone. He spun to his right and saw a black hooded figure standing there watching him. Instinctively, he reached for the Master Sword, only to realize yet again that he no longer had possession of it. Seeking the next best thing, he looked around the room for his bow.

"Link!" cried the familiar voice from under the hood. "Calm down. It's me!"

The hood fell back to reveal the instantly recognizable features of the one he had fought with side by side to defeat Ganondorf. It was Princess Zelda.

Link was momentarily stunned speechless. He suddenly crossed the room in two brisk steps and embraced Zelda. He pulled her body tightly against his. His hand touched the back of her head as he sobbed against her.

He quickly realized what he was doing and stepped back. "I'm sorry, Princess. I forgot my place. I forgot that you are a Princess. Please forgive me."

Zelda smiled at him. He didn't remember Zelda ever smiling before, but he supposed Zant's invasion left her with little to smile about.

"I was a Princess" she said. "Now I'm Queen Zelda, but my friends can just call me 'Zelda' in private".

"So does that mean..."

"Yes, you can just call me 'Zelda'. I consider you to be the closest remaining friend I have left in this world. After all we have been through, I don't know how I could not."

Link's boyish grin resurfaced. Underneath all the stress and the aching depression that had plagued him over the course of the last few weeks, he was feeling genuine happiness once again.

"I am very happy to see you again, Zelda" said Link. "But what are you doing here?"

"I came to discuss tax policy with the Mayor of Ordon Village. There is also the matter of his request for subsidies for goat wool exports. The crown will subsidize finished textile products but not the wool itself. Then there are some ceremonial matters to attend to."

Link stared blankly at her until she burst out laughing.

"I'm joking!" she exclaimed. "I have people who handle such matters. I actually came to visit you. I hope you don't mind having a houseguest."

"No, I don't mind at all!" said Link. "You are always welcome here, but I live in a small house built into a tree. This is no place for a Queen."

"Every inch of Hyrule is a place for a Queen should I choose, but I know what you mean to say. I am used to being pampered but my time confined to a small room in Hyrule Castle has helped me to enjoy simpler tastes. You have done more for Hyrule than anyone has a right to ask, and you have asked for nothing in return. If you wish to be content with you life in Ordon Village, herding goats, then I can't begrudge you the size of your house."

"You are welcome here for as long as you please, but may I ask how long you wish to stay?"

"I will stay here until you decide I should go. I can rule Hyrule from your little house in a tree if need be." The expression on Zelda's face was dead serious.

"Why would you want to do that?" asked Link.

"Because..." Zelda started. "I will eventually ask you to leave your home behind once again, and when I do, I want to make sure you are ready. We will not speak of what I just said again until later, when the timing is better."

Link longed to ask what exactly she meant by that but knew better than to ask. Zelda's expression suddenly brightened. "So Link, what's there to eat around here?"


	2. Chapter 2

Mayor Bo lifted his left leg up and brought it crashing to the ground. He widened his stance and visibly shifted his immense body weight. Link adjusted his own stance as well. He glanced at the spectators all around him. Their faces were lit only by the nearby bonfire and the light of the dusk moon.

Mayor Bo had constructed a Goron-style wrestling ring in the middle of the village. Link's dealings with the Gorons had apparently instilled some nostalgia in the Mayor. It was mostly the kids who got into wrestling, but the match between Link and Mayor Bo was the one that Ordon Village was truly excited for. Link scanned the crowd and caught Zelda's gaze. Her face was concealed by the hooded cloak she was wearing, not that most of the villagers knew what Zelda looked like. Link could only imagine how they would react if they knew they had the Queen of Hyrule and keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom in their midst.

Ilia slammed the mallet into the gong to signal the start of the match. Mayor Bo was ready. He immediately charged at Link, his shoulders pointed down and his center of mass low to the ground. Link jumped out of the way as the Mayor skidded to a stop at the edge of the ring. Not missing the opportunity, Link slammed his body into the Mayor's back, driving the rotund man out of the ring. Ilia rang the gong once again to signal the end of the match. It had been an exceptionally short match. Needless to say, the villagers demanded more rounds. Link stretched his muscles as he prepared to face the Mayor again.

Link defeated the Mayor a second time, and then a third time. He had never before had such an easy time dispensing with the man who was usually a very challenging opponent. It occurred to Link that he was giving his best effort because Zelda was watching. He suddenly felt his face heat up when he realized that Zelda was seeing him shirtless.

He had gained immense admiration for Zelda after all she did to assist him and Midna in saving Hyrule, but she had always seemed so aloft to him, certainly someone who had little in common with a simple goatherder. But was he still just a simple goatherder, he asked himself? After all that had happened, was it really that simple? He bore the Triforce of Courage on his hand. He had wielded the Master Sword and used it to slay both Ganondorf and Zant. He had even ventured beyond the Mirror of Twilight to the Twilight Realm. Certainly, that had to put him on more equal footing with Zelda.

After Link had handily defeated the Mayor five times, the wrestling came to an end but the night's festivities raged on. Link threw on his shirt and quietly slipped away from the crowd. Zelda wordlessly joined him. Link found Epona and stroked her mane. He then leaped into his faithful horse's back and held a hand out to help Zelda climb up behind him.

His heart raced as he felt Zelda's hand clasping his own. It was almost as if their respective Triforce triangles were resonating with each other. Zelda sat down behind him, her legs on either side of Link and her arms wrapped around his waist. He had ridden Epona with Zelda on the back before, but that was when they were fighting Ganondorf. This was different. It felt different. Zelda leaned forward to speak into Link's ear.

"Let's go to Ordona Spring" she said softly. I want to sit on the ground and talk with you."

"Queens don't sit on the ground" said Link.

"This Queen will make an exception tonight" she replied.

Link guided Epona to the Spring. He dismounted first and then caught Zelda by the waist as he helped her down. She let down her hood and gave him a subdued smile. They sat down side-by-side on the ground, gazing out at the spring water illuminated by the moon and stars.

"What do you want to do with your life, Link?" asked Zelda.

Link scratched his chin. "I haven't really given it much thought lately" he admitted. "Since the day the children of the village were kidnapped and I was transformed into a wolf, my life has just felt like a blur. If I had to think of something though, I suppose I would continue to work for Fado over at Ordona Ranch until I can earn enough money to buy some land and some livestock of my own."

"But deep down, you know that can't happen" said Zelda. "Your travels have changed you. I didn't know you before the day when you became a wolf, but even I can see that you have changed. Your beast form may have been discarded forever, but the restlessness inside of you hasn't died. Your fellow villagers can see it too. They no longer see you as Link the goatherder. They see you as Link the legendary hero. The Triforce on your hand is your mark that you are different, that you are more than what you once were."

"You're right" Link admitted. "I can see it in the way they talk to me. The children all openly idolize me, and the adults act very awkwardly around me. Even Ilia, my oldest childhood friend, acts differently around me now. I guess having a normal life in Ordon Village may not be possible for me anymore, but it's my home. Where else do I belong if not here?"

"Hyrule Castle" replied Zelda. "You have a home in Hyrule Castle should you choose to come with me."

"But Hyrule Castle was destroyed by Ganondorf!" said Link. "I saw the explosion!"

Zelda shook her head. "That was only the throne room that was destroyed, and even it is nearly finished being rebuilt. The rest of the castle was untouched."

"So when you said that you wanted to take me away from here, you were talking about taking me back to Hyrule Castle. Why are you giving me that choice? You are the Queen of Hyrule. You could just give me the order and I would have to come."

"All of Hyrule is deeply indebted to you, Link" replied Zelda. "I have too much respect for you to take away your free will. After all, it was your free will that led you to save Hyrule. But I have another reason beyond that. I'm afraid that I will have to call on you again for help. There is no immediate danger to Hyrule at this time, but nevertheless, I require your assistance with an important matter. However, you must agree wholeheartedly to our mission without reservation or we have no chance of succeeding."

"What mission could be so important?" asked Link.

Zelda's gaze intensified as her jaw clenched. "I intend to enter the Sacred Realm and retrieve the Triforce of Power. I have very good reason to believe that it was sent there upon Ganondorf's death, and I will need your help to make it into the Sacred Realm."

Link sighed. He didn't know much about the Sacred Realm but he knew it was separate from the Twilight Realm. If he could access the Sacred Realm then why not the Twilight Realm? That's where Midna had returned to. The pain of losing her still weighed heavily on his heart.

"Let me sleep on it" said Link. "I will have an answer for you tomorrow."

Zelda nodded. "Take as long as you need to decide, because once you agree, I will need you to be fully committed."


	3. Chapter 3

Link slept on the top bunk of his bunk bed, leaving the bottom bunk for Zelda. As he listened the sound of Zelda breathing in her sleep, he wished that he had a bed wide enough for two instead of the narrow bunk bed. Then he reminded himself that goatherders from Ordon Village didn't sleep with the Queen of Hyrule. Of course, turning into a wolf and roaming the land alongside the Queen of the Twilight Realm also wasn't something goatherders from Ordon Village were known for doing either. Zelda was right, he mused to himself. Whatever he had become, he could no longer call himself a simple goatherder.

Morning came sooner than he would have liked. It was Zelda who woke him up by shaking him, perhaps a bit more roughly than he would have preferred. She was dressed in drab traveling clothes.

"Good morning, Link" she said softly. "How do you feel?"

Link grinned at her. "I feel like searching for the Triforce of Power" he replied.

Zelda's eyes widened and a gasp escaped her lips. She looked like she wanted to cheer or jump up and down, or otherwise show her excitement in a more visible manner, but years of schooling in the etiquette expected of a queen dulled her exuberance. Suddenly, her expression turned more serious. "I know how much I am asking of you, and I am very grateful that you are agreeing to help me."

"I realized that I can't just turn my back on Hyrule" said Link. "I can't pretend to be less than what I really am and turn a blind eye to the threats facing our land". He hopped out of the top bunk and stretched his arms, yawning as he did so. "It's early but I suppose now is as good a time as any to leave for Hyrule Castle."

"Then I suppose I should give you this" said Zelda as she reached into her traveling pack and retrieved an object that Link was all too familiar with – the Master Sword.

"But how?" asked Link. "How were you able to remove the Master Sword from its resting place?"

Zelda smiled as she held up the back of her hand to show the faint glow of the Triforce of Wisdom embedded on her skin. "You forget that I possess part of the Triforce too. In fact, if my theories about the Master Sword are correct, the Triforce of Wisdom is actually more attuned to the magic of the Master Sword than either of the other two parts."

"That part makes sense" said Link. "But the Lost Woods are a dangerous place, even without that Skull Kid. How did you make it through there?"

"With a platoon of heavily armed soldiers" said Zelda. "The lone swordsman routine may work for you, but the Queen of Hyrule gets an army. Oh, and don't worry about Skull Kid. The Lieutenant who was with me has orders to find a home for him. I shot him with a light arrow, and now the Skull Kid is a regular human child again. I don't understand it either but I'm happy that he has been freed from the curse. After that, getting to the Master Sword was easy. The Master Sword recognizes me as one who is permitted to wield it, but by all right, it should be wielded by you. After everything you have been through with it, you have more of a claim on the sword than anyone alive."

Link nodded as he took the sword from Zelda. His words failed him at the moment. Holding that sword in his hand brought back a rush of memories swirling around in his head. Despite the wave of dread he felt rolling through him, it still felt good to feel that familiar hilt pressed against his palm. He stretched out his arm and held the sword high above his head, gazing at it with a look of awe plastered across his face.

"That's really strange, Link" said Zelda, interrupting his brief reverie.

"What is?"

"The way you always strike a pose and hold random objects above your head like that. Seriously, don't do that in public or people will think something is wrong with you."

Link blushed and put the sword down by his side. "I'm only joking with you" said Zelda. "Your little idiosyncrasies are what make you unique. Now, I think you're right. We really should be leaving for Hyrule Castle so we can arrive before it gets dark. You really do like to sleep in. You should probably let Fado know that you will be leaving. I will meet you near the entrance to Faron Woods."

Link nodded. "I will try to hurry."


	4. Chapter 4

It was late in the afternoon when Link and Zelda approached Hyrule Castle. Epona could have gotten him there much sooner, but Zelda insisted that they take it slow because she thought her horse might be getting sick. They dismounted at the stables and allowed the stableboys to lead the horses away. They were greeted by a large regiment of Royal Guards, who saluted Zelda as she and Link walked past. There were whispers all around as all eyes in the castle were on the Queen of Hyrule and her mysterious traveling companion. Zelda looked at the butler who was hurriedly walking towards them.

"It's good to see you, Sebastian. Please summon Zoey and Serana to my antechamber. I will be there soon."

"Yes, my Queen" said the butler as he bowed and then hurried away. Zelda turned to smile at Link. "I think you will find Hyrule Castle to be a lot more hospitable than it was the last time you were here. Moblins don't make for good guests."

Zelda took a slightly longer route to her antechamber so Link could take in the sights of how the castle looked normally, when it wasn't being occupied by an army of monsters. When they finally reached Zelda's antechamber, Link saw two young women who looked about Zelda's age, perhaps slightly older. Zelda motioned for the two of them to approach. She looked at Link.

"These are my chambermaids, Serana and Zoey."

She looked over at the two chambermaids, dressed in fine sleeveless purple tunics. "Please take Link here and freshen him up to make him more presentable. Do a good job as if it were me you were grooming. The past few days have been rough so be thorough."

Both young ladies grabbed Link by each hand and led him away. Link thought he detected a hint of a mischievous smile on Zelda's face as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. The two young ladies rushed Link down a hallway into a spacious room with a bathtub.

"Please undress, Master Link" said Serana.

Link's jaw dropped. "You mean you want me to…"

"Yes, Master Link" she said without expression. "Please remove all of your clothing so that we can bathe you."

"Uh… OK" muttered Link as he undressed slowly, his reddened face staring down at the ceramic floor as he did so. He stripped down until he was wearing only a small undergarment around his waist.

Zoey had a confused look on her face. "Master Link, if you will please finish undressing, we can bathe you."

"Maybe I can keep this on?" asked Link.

Zoey's confused expression grew even more pronounced. "But the parts that it's covering are the parts that need the most attention."

Without waiting on a response, Serana yanked his undergarment down to his ankles. "There, that's better" she said. "Now, please get into the bathtub."

Zelda had told the two chambermaids to be "thorough" with Link. They had certainly done that, both with the bath, and then with the long massage they gave him afterwards. When they had finally allowed him to get dressed, the clothes they provided him with looked fit for a king. The outfit included off-white trousers and a dark green shit lined with gold-colored frills at the neckline. Link was relieved to finally have some clothes on, but he had to admit to himself that he really did enjoy that massage. Zoey certainly had a talent for loosening up his aching joints.

Feeling much better than he did when he first arrived at Hyrule Castle, Link allowed himself to be escorted by Serana and Zoey back to Queen Zelda's antechamber. Zelda was nowhere to be found. He only saw a butler whose face looked familiar. Link remembered that his name was Sebastian.

"Ah, there you are, Master Link!" exclaimed the elderly butler with a youthful exuberance not befitting his appearance. "The Queen is currently meeting with her Council. She instructed me to inform you that you have free reign of the castle. May I suggest that you visit the pavilion area in the North Courtyard? The Queen said she has plans for you in that place, so perhaps you would like to get better acquainted with the area."

Link nodded. "Thank you. I think I will do that." He picked up the Master Sword and attached the scabbard to his belt. Even if he was just going for a walk around the castle, it felt odd to just leave it behind. The sword almost seemed like it had a mind of its own, as if there were some sentient consciousness contained within the magic of the sword. Zelda had hinted that she knew more about the Master Sword than he did.

Link rested his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword as he walked. As he passed by soldiers of the Royal Guard, they greeted him with salutes and the appellation "Sir Link". Strangely enough, one soldier even addressed Link as "Your Majesty". Link found it odd that he was widely regarded as the most dangerous man in Hyrule, yet he was allowed unrestricted access to all parts of Hyrule Castle without question. He suddenly realized that this was the most tangible evidence yet that Zelda trusted him completely. He decided that he would have to make sure he lived up to her trust.

The courtyard was beautiful. Flowers were in full bloom, and the hideous wooden fortifications that had been constructed by the occupying force of Moblins had been completely removed. What captivated his attention the most though was the stone obelisk in the courtyard. It was made of non-reflective black stone that came up to about chest height. Embedded into the top surface of the obelisk was a golden Triforce symbol. The Royal Crest of Hyrule's dynasty included the Triforce design. The crest itself was a common sight in the castle, but not the Triforce symbol on its own. Link felt a sudden chill run through his body. He quickly realized that the strange sensation he felt was emanating from the Master Sword. Link didn't need to ponder the cause for very long; the Master Sword was warning him.


	5. Chapter 5

Link strolled back into the castle and headed up to the ramparts where he had a stunning view of the courtyards below as well as the land that lay beyond the outer walls. He also had a view of the spot where the throne room used to be. It looked like the reconstruction was going well. Support pillars were erected along the perimeter of the massive room, and the outer edges of the roof were already in place.

Located on the corners of the ramparts were small stone buildings. Remembering the directions given to him by a helpful soldier in the Royal Guard, Link was easily able to locate the building where Zelda would be meeting with her Council. He sat down on a wooden bench near the door and pulled a knife and a wooden block out of his pack. Link had always enjoyed whittling, but in the aftermath of his showdown with Ganondorf, he had begun to find even more comfort in whittling.

He sliced away slivers off the edge of the block. Some people rushed the process, but Link took his time. He did his best work when he went slowly. He didn't have an end goal in mind at first but gradually the subject he had in mind evolved. First, he wanted to carve a person, then specifically a woman, then a woman of noble bearing. Finally, without setting out to carve her as his initial goal, Link finished carving a small wooden figurine of Zelda. Satisfied with how it turned out, Link stuck the figurine in his pack.

It wasn't long after he finished when the door to the Council chamber finally opened. Four stout Royal Guards emerged from the door, hands on the hilts of their sheathed swords. Following behind them were several people whose faces Link didn't recognize. Most were men and most were middle-aged or elderly, but there were a few women and few younger people in the mix. Zelda emerged last. Her brow was furrowed as she walked, eyes distant as if deep in thought. Life returned to her face as soon as she saw Link standing there smiling. A grin appeared on her face as she practically jogged over to greet him.

"Well, you look the image of the handsome prince" she said. "I see Serana and Zoey certainly did a good job cleaning you up."

Link adjusted his collar and cast his eyes downward. "Yes, they certainly were thorough."

Zelda's jovial expression shifted into a suspicious glare. "OK, tell me. What did they do that has you looking so uncomfortable."

"Well…" started Link. "They had me undress, and then they…"

"Oh, I get it" said Zelda. "I forgot you're a country boy. I guess I am so used to being bathed by chambermaids that I didn't think to consider that it might be a little awkward for you. I would have warned you if I had thought of it. I'm sorry about that. A man of your station can certainly enjoy all the hospitality that the castle staff have to offer, but I sometimes forget that this wasn't always your station in life. Seeing you in those clothes just makes it seem like you were born into royalty. You look as regal as any prince I've seen, but I think I'm getting a bit carried away. I really am sorry about that."

"It's really quite all right" said Link. "It was just a very different experience for me. It's something that will take getting used to. But since you keep bringing up the issue of my current station, just what exactly is my status here and what sort of position did you have in mind for me?"

The smile that broke out on Zelda's face almost looked involuntary, as if she couldn't help but smile at Link's question. "Oh, I have something in mind for you, but it's a bit premature to discuss it at this time. Let's just say that I will hopefully be making you a formal offer soon, and if you choose to accept my offer, you will have a status far above that of goatherder. But this is something I still need to meditate on. You will have to trust me on this. I will tell you when the time is right. In the meantime, I have been trying to lay the groundwork for you."

"I trust you" said Link. "But what do you mean by 'laying the groundwork' for me?"

"I'm sure you noticed how the Royal Guard salutes you constantly. While all of Hyrule respects what you did, I had a lot to do with making sure the Royal Guard publicly displayed that respect. I am deliberately trying to create the image that you are someone of noble stature. Well, you already are in my eyes, but in the Royal Court, appearances matter more than facts. It's an unfortunate reality that I have to deal with every day. As unfortunate as that is, however, it is still essential that your image conveys the message that you are a person of supreme importance. That may involve dressing like royalty, allowing yourself to be served by chambermaids, participating in social events, or being seen with powerful people."

"I am with the most powerful person in the world right now" said Link. "That counts for something."

"Yes, it does, Link" said Zelda. "It counts for more than you realize right now. And maybe one more thing. You should probably leave your traveling pack behind when you are walking around castle grounds, but definitely wear the Master Sword at your hip. For people who have never seen your face before, the Master Sword is the most easily recognizable feature about you."

"I have been meaning to talk to you about that" said Link. "When I was in the North Courtyard earlier, I saw this black obelisk with the Triforce symbol etched on it. The Master Sword seemed to react to being near that obelisk. It was almost like the Master Sword was trying to warn me of something."

Zelda nodded. "That isn't surprising. Hyrule Castle had been the focal point of numerous power struggles over the centuries. More often than not, magic played a significant role in these power struggles. You saw this firsthand the last time you were in the castle. The aftereffects of powerful magic don't always dissipate easily. The best way to describe the situation would be to have you imagine that a thundercloud envelopes all of Hyrule Castle, but the thundercloud contains traces of magic instead of electricity."

"So, if these black obelisks contain traces of this power, can they be removed?"

"I'm sure they can" replied Zelda. "But one of my ancestors intentionally put these obelisks in place. They serve the useful function of redirecting this magical energy into a somewhat comprehensible pattern. The act as focal points to arrange the outer nodes of this energy field. While the outer nodes are unstable, their opposites are mirrored in a central inner node, which is the most stable part of the whole field."

"I'm afraid I have to play the role of country boy again" said Link. "I'm not sure I really understand what's you're talking about, but where is this inner node you spoke of?"

Zelda pointed at the remnants of the throne room. "The inner node is located in the throne room. That is yet another reason why I made its reconstruction a priority. I cannot allow the field to become unbalanced or the results could be catastrophic. In fact, I believe Ganondorf destroyed the throne room by manipulating the energy flows of the nodal vertices to cause an explosion. Perhaps Midna's power when using the Fused Shadows acted as a conduit that Ganondorf then seized control of."

"I'm still not sure I completely understand but that would make sense. I thought it strange that Ganondorf could make the throne room explode on a whim but couldn't best me in a simple swordfight."

"My thoughts exactly!" said Zelda. "Ganondorf wielded power that wasn't inherent in him, just as you wield the Master Sword to use powers that aren't inherent in you."

"Are the construction crews working on the throne room in any danger?" asked Link.

"Not to my knowledge" replied Zelda. "Fluctuations in energy of the sort that destroyed the throne room before don't happen accidentally. The outer nodes regulate that. One would have to be intentionally trying to create a fluctuation for that to happen."

Link chuckled to himself. "You are very different from the assumptions most people have about you. I couldn't imagine a wiser Queen that Hyrule could possibly have."

"Thank you, Link" said Zelda. "I'm a new Queen but I hope I live up to your expectations." She stared off at the sun setting on Hyrule Field. "It's getting late. I should be going to eat with dignitaries from the Gerudo soon. You, of course, should come along with me. I want you to meet them."


	6. Chapter 6

Link was quiet for much of the feast. Zelda was talking animatedly with three Gerudo dignitaries. Link tried to follow the conversation but much of it was lost on him.

Nobody who knew Link would consider him dumb. Anyone who did severely underestimated his cleverness. He just didn't grow up with the same sort of education that Zelda had received. However, despite the fact that Link didn't understand much of the speech that passed between Zelda and the Gerudo, he certainly paid attention to the body language. Behind the friendly smiles and gentle etiquette, Zelda was sparring with the dignitaries. Link recognized the rhythm of battle. Every "please" was a sword thrust, every change of topic was a parry, and every question was a potentially fatal blow. Zelda was a warrior of a different type.

After the feast was over, Link accompanied Zelda as she walked. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the wooden figurine he had carved.

"Oh, Link!" exclaimed Zelda. "Did you do that?"

Link nodded. "I carved this while you were in a Council meeting. Whittling helps me relax. I carve a lot of animals, and sometimes people too. I've never carved a Queen before so I hope my work is up to royal standards."

"It's amazing, Link. Whittling faces looks difficult but I can easily recognize myself in your work. That's the hallmark of mastery. I see that I'm carrying my sword in this carving. Why carve me like that?"

"Maybe a sword in hand suits you" replied Link. "Or maybe it's because my face had a few close calls with your sword when Ganondorf was possessing you. That's the kind of thing that sticks in a person's mind."

Zelda let out an embarrassed laugh. "Well, I'm glad Ganondorf couldn't control me as his puppet very well. I think I have the potential to be quite deadly with a sword. Maybe you can teach me what you know of swordfighting tomorrow. In return, I can teach you what I know of archery."

"That sounds like fun to me" said Link.

"Tomorrow will be a very busy day, and that's why I am going to retire to my bedchamber now. You will be staying in the chambers adjacent to mine. It was actually where I used to sleep when I was still a princess before becoming Queen, so it will be comfortable enough for you."

"I very much appreciate your hospitality" said Link as they arrived at the door to Zelda's chambers. Link bowed to Zelda and then left her side to walk to the entrance to his own chambers.

"Oh, and by the way, Link" interjected Zelda right as Link was about to step through the door. "If you want your accommodations to be even more comfortable, you may want to search the large wardrobe along the back wall of your bedchamber. There's a false panel in the back. If you're as smart as I think you are, you will easily figure out why I told you about it, but it's entirely up to you whether or not you make use of that knowledge."

Zelda winked mischievously at him before she disappeared into her chambers. Her words captivated Link's attention. Ever since she had arrived in Ordon Village, she had been acting purposefully vague and mysterious around Link, but this was something altogether different. She desperately wanted him to know something but just couldn't bring herself to say it aloud.

Link resolved to figure out what she wanted to tell him. He purposefully strode through his antechamber and into the bedchamber that lay beyond. The luxurious bed looked like the most comfortable bed he had ever seen but he walked right past it without so much as a second glance. He headed right towards the wardrobe at the back of the room and threw open the doors.

It was filled with very expensive looking clothes. Despite the fact that it used to be Zelda's bedchamber, all of the clothes were male clothing. Link realized that Zelda had prepared for his stay before she left for Ordon Village. That had to explain it. Carefully, he removed the articles of clothing and laid them out on the bed. He did this methodically until the wardrobe was emptied out. He then reached into the wardrobe and placed his hands on the wooden panel on the back. With a little effort, he was able to slide the false panel to the left, revealing a opening of sorts that went directly into the wall of the bedchamber. It was a secret passage.

Somehow, the fact that Zelda would have had a secret passage in her old bedchamber didn't surprise Link in the least. Without hesitation, he climbed through the opening and entered the secret passage. It wasn't very dark like he would have expected. The passage was lit by mirrors, which were located near small vents along the corners of the passageway. The source of the light was hidden by the system of mirrors but the light was visible enough. The passageway went downhill and then suddenly plateaued immediately after a hard left turn. After a short walk, there was another left turn and the passageway started going uphill.

Link retraced his steps in his mind. Downhill, then left and flat, then left and uphill... and Zelda's chambers were to the left of his chambers. He realized then that the secret passage led to Zelda's chambers.

That realization caused the cryptic nature of Zelda's clue to make a lot more sense. She was giving him an invitation that she knew he would figure out when he got to the point where he was at presently. It was now his decision whether or not to take the next step or to return to his own chambers. Link had stood at the thresholds of numerous bleak and frightening dungeons, and had boldly stepped through ominous doors to meet the deadly beasts that waited beyond, but never before had Link's first steps beyond and unknown doorway been so nerve-wracking.

Link took a deep breath and slid the panel in front of him out of the way.


	7. Chapter 7

Link stepped through the wardrobe in Zelda's bedchamber and emerged out on the other side. He quickly scanned the room until he found Zelda. She was standing in front of a mirror and was facing away from him. She was also completely naked. Her skin was silky smooth, and her perfect body was more magnificent than Link could have hoped for. She slowly turned around to face him.

"Link…" she started uncertainly. "I'm not sure what to say. But we don't need to talk. Join me in bed."

Zelda sat down on top of her large bed. "Without your clothes, preferably" she added. Link hurriedly tore off his clothes and rushed to the bed to join Zelda. He gently caressed her body, giving extra attention to her more inviting parts. Zelda started to do the same.

"Ow!" cried Link. "Be careful with those. They are extremely sensitive. Do it like this." He moved Zelda's hand to where he wanted it.

"Sorry" said Zelda. "I'm new to this. Not in theory but in practice. I've read a lot about this. I've just not done it with anyone except you."

Link kissed her. "I'm glad we are doing this with each other" he said. "Just let me know how you want to do it."

"Goddess position" said Zelda.

"Huh? What's that?"

In answer, Zelda got on all fours and parted her legs. Turning her head to look back at Link, she grinned. "Come on. I want you."

Link stared at her delectable buttocks. He brought his face closer and kissed the lips of her vagina. He gently pulled apart those lips with his fingers and used his tongue. Zelda moaned with satisfaction. She wiggled her hips.

"Come on in" she said. Link was happy to oblige. He carefully positioned the tip of his penis inside her and very slowly started to enter her. She groaned as he entered.

"Are you OK?" asked Link.

"Yes" gasped Zelda. "Just more than I expected. Go in slowly and I will be fine."

Once Link was in as far as he could go, he gave Zelda a few more slow pumps before he sped up his pace. It wasn't long before he was rapidly thrusting into her. Her buttocks bounced against his abdomen. Link was gripping her hips as he pulled her back and forth in a rapid rhythm.

When they were done, Link and Zelda collapsed into a warm heap of intertwined flesh. Zelda looked up at Link, and he kissed her forehead.

"Link, I'm in love with you" said Zelda.

"I am so glad to hear you say that" said Link. "I love you too but I didn't think I could say so until now. You're Queen of Hyrule, after all."

Zelda giggled. "I don't think that will mean much for the two of us if all goes right. Look, I had you enter my bedchamber through a secret passage for more than just one reason. I also didn't want to deal with the gossip that would occur if you were seen entering or exiting my chambers at night, but it's my hope that soon that won't matter anymore and you won't have to hide."

"I want to be with you either way" said Link. "Whether I am with you publicly or privately isn't as important as just being with you." Zelda didn't reply vocally but she did hold on to Link even more tightly.

They held each other in silence for a while longer before Zelda suddenly pushed herself up and slowly lowered herself down on top of Link.

"I think I want to try the mare position" she said with a grin on her face. "It's my turn to ride you this time."


	8. Chapter 8

Link awoke in his own bed. He had returned via the secret tunnel after he and Zelda had exhausted themselves the night before. Shortly after getting out of bed, Serana and Zoey were there to help him get ready for the day. He considered politely declining their assistance, but remembered that Zelda wanted him to maintain an image so he allowed the chambermaids to perform their duties.

He caught a glimpse of Zelda as she was walking briskly surrounded by advisors. Her face lit up with an ear-to-ear grin when she spotted him. She turned back to her advisors and said a few words to them to excuse herself. She then walked away from the group of advisors and went towards Link.

"Hi there" she said. "I didn't get much sleep last night thanks to you."

"Me either" said Link. "But you're glowing like you're well-rested."

"I was 'well-somethinged' last night" she whispered.

"Anything to serve my Queen" said Link.

"Well as much as I enjoyed your method of service last night, there's something almost as exciting you can do for me right now. I want to practice swordfighting with you in the West Courtyard."

"That sounds like fun" said Link. "Lets go."

Link followed closely beside Zelda as she led the way. The West Courtyard contained a training area for the Royal Guard. It wasn't currently in use so Zelda hopped over the waist-high wall. Link followed closely behind.

"Please let me see your sword" said Link.

Zelda drew the rapier with the ornate hilt and handed it to Link. He swished the rapier around in the air and performed a few practice stabs.

"This rapier has some advantages and disadvantages" he said. "It's very fast and manueverable. The blade is hard to see clearly when you swish it around. It just appears as a blur, making it hard for your enemies to see its exact position. Unfortunately, it's meant for stabbing, not slashing. Furthermore, it's terrible at being used defensively. If you use it, you will have to be aggressively pressing the attack. This sword can be very effective when used against single enemies, but I wouldn't try it against groups in large open spaces."

"This sword is mainly ceremonial though. I don't know how suitable it is as a weapon."

"It didn't seem ceremonial when it was flying mere inches from my face" muttered Link. "But you're right. This sword appears to be made more for aesthetics than function. That doesn't mean that it can't kill. It just means it requires precision to use."

"Then let's work on my precision. I think I would like to master the rapier first and then expand my skills to other swords. I know I will often have my rapier with me so it makes sense to know how to use it. There are some training swords over there in that barrel. Let's grab two rapiers from there."

Zelda grabbed a training rapier and handed a second one to Link. It appeared to be made of wood and coated with rubber at the tip. Zelda swished it around.

"Hmm... this feels familiar" she said. "Handling this training rapier feels like handling the cane I use for Serana and Zoey."

"You do what?!" asked Link.

"Oh..." Zelda said, blushing. "Well, I am generally lenient with them, but occasionally they require discipline on rare occasions. I know how it sounds, but I'm really not that harsh with them though. Please don't mention this to them. It will just embarrass them."

"So... yeah" said Link. "That secret is safe with me. Let's get started with some mild-paced sparring. You attack, and I will defend."

Link was glad for the distraction. Thinking about Zelda caning her chambermaids wasn't going to do him any favors right then. Zelda lunged forward and thrust the rapier towards his chest. He easily redirected the thrust harmlessly to the side as he casually pressed the rubber tip of his own rapier against the underside of Zelda's chin.

Zelda backed up and then attacked again. This thrust was a lot more controlled. Link pivoted on one foot as he spun out of the way. After completing his turn, Link stuck the rapier point against Zelda's chest.

"You're signaling your moves" he told Zelda. "Remember what I told you about what advantages rapiers have. Try to make your next moves harder for me to predict."

This time, Zelda ran towards him while swirling her rapier around in random directions. It looked like just a blur to Link. Not even her body language gave away the angle of attack. Link had much greater difficulty countering that attack."

"You're a fast learner" said Link. "Now it's my turn. Prepare to defend yourself!"

Link charged forward. He held his rapier out to his right side, pointed at Zelda from an angle. As she readied her defensive stance, he sidestepped to the opposite side. He spun his rapier around so that the blade was on the opposite side of his fist from his thumb. He used a backhand motion to poke Zelda's neck with the rapier.

"Did you see the maneuver I just used?" he asked her. "Yes" replied Zelda. "That was a clever trick but it won't work on me again."

"That's fine with me" said Link. "I have plenty of other tricks."

Link and Zelda continued to spar. They gradually increased the pace until they were both furiously thrusting, parrying, and dodging. Eventually Zelda dropped to one knee panting.

"OK, Link... I'm done for today. I don't think I can spar anymore. In fact, I think I need another bath, and I want you to join me. No chambermaids this time, just you and me."

Link grinned. "I can help take care of all of your hard-to-reach places."

"No need for euphemisms" said Zelda. "I want to try the octo position with you. Let's hurry. I'm eager to try it."


	9. Chapter 9

Link decided that he was fond of the "octo position". He and Zelda stayed in the bathtub long past the time when the water lost its warmth. When they finally got out and put some clothes on, it was mid-afternoon.

"I think I'm ready for our mission" said Link.

"You mean going after the Triforce of Power?" asked Zelda.

Link nodded. "I enjoy our time together but we can't truly be content while we still have this burden hanging over us. I want to go to the Sacred Realm, complete our mission, and then live our lives in peace."

"I can't disagree with you there" said Zelda. "I will alert Commander Ruto of the Royal Guard and then we can pack some supplies to take with us. We can leave tonight."

"You want to travel at night?"

"We aren't traveling through Hyrule" replied Zelda. The portal to the Sacred Realm can be opened in the throne room. You know, the location of the inner node I was telling you about. I will explain more when we get there. Let's go."

After all the preparations were completed, Link and Zelda entered the throne room. The Royal Guard was anxious about the Queen entering a room that wasn't finished yet but they grudgingly stayed outside on her orders.

"Right here is the spot" said Zelda. A large golden triangle of light began to emanate from the floor while Zelda stood in the center. Her fist was clenched and the Triforce of Wisdom was radiating an intense glow from her hand. Link walked over to her to join her, and then his Triforce of Courage began to radiate too.

"Do you feel that?" asked Zelda.

"Yes, I think so" replied Link. "I can feel the air around us being distorted. It almost seems like air is being stretched in some places and compressed in other places. I feel a tear!"

Link lunged forward. The Master Sword was already in his hand. He slashed through the invisible tear he felt rippling in the air. He immediately had to shield his eyes from the explosion of light that erupted from the now visible tear. He couldn't tell whether he and Zelda were pulled into the tear, or whether it engulfed them. Either way, the light vanished and they were swallowed by darkness.

"Link!?" cried Zelda.

"I'm right here!" said Link as he found his way to her in the dark and grabbed her hand. Suddenly, the mysterious place they were in reverberated with the sound of menacing laughter. It was a laugh that Link would recognize anywhere.

"Ganondorf!" he said.

"Right you are" replied Ganondorf. A large spherical flame ignited before Link's eyes. It was a yellow-green flame that resembled Ganondorf's disembodied face. "You thought you would enter the Sacred Realm without going through me?"

"I will go through you if I must!" shouted Link. "I've killed you once and I will do it again!"

"Oh no you won't, you pathetic mortal. I am already dead. I reside in the Spirit Realm now. When I saw that you were trying to pass into the Sacred Realm, I just had to come and greet you. You're currently in the Spirit Realm. Unfortunately, you aren't dead yet so you won't be able to stay for long, but I am here to act as a gatekeeper of sorts, and I will release you into the Sacred Realm momentarily."

"And why would you do that?" asked Zelda. "Surely you don't think you are going to be coming with us?"

"No, not me" replied Ganondorf. "Just someone who has the power to resurrect me. Trapped within the Master Sword is a very powerful soul who will be released from his prison once you cross over into the Sacred Realm."

"So I should be prepared to fight whatever monstrosity you released as soon as we arrive" said Link.

Ganondorf laughed. "Oh that would be fun to witness, but it will have to wait. You will arrive in the part of the Sacred Realm that is mirrored by Hyrule Castle. If I could alter your destination, I would send you into the lava pit of an active volcano. I can alter the destination of this freed soul though. I will be sending him directly to the Triforce of Power."

"What?!" exclaimed Zelda. "Why would you do that?"

"Dont you see?" asked Ganondorf. "The two of you possess the other two parts of the Triforce. In order for him to obtain the complete Triforce, he will come looking for you. That will be a confrontation I will enjoy watching."

"It's OK, Zelda" said Link. "We both knew this wouldn't be easy. We will just have to make the best of it."

"No, we don't!" said Zelda. "Ganondorf, if you go through with this plan of yours, I will extract my vengeance on you, dead or not."

"It's already been done" said Ganondorf. "As a spirit, my chosen ally is able to travel through the Spirit Realm much more quickly. He has already reached the Sacred Realm."

"Then as Queen of Hyrule, I condemn you" said Zelda. "I banish you to the deepest, darkest, most desolate pit in this Spirit Realm. May your soul be deprived of all power and may you wither in your prison."

Zelda held up the palm of her hand towards Ganondorf. The Triforce of Wisdom was shining brightly on the back of her hand. Light erupted from her palm and engulfed Ganondorf. The soft light suddenly turned harsh and grew darker. Ganondorf's laughter turned into an agonized scream as his fiery image was snuffed out.

The darkness around Zelda and Link began to recede. When they were finally able to see again, it was obvious that they were no longer in Hyrule.

"We have arrived" said Zelda. "Welcome to the Sacred Realm."


	10. Chapter 10

Link and Zelda looked around at their new surroundings. They were on an island contained within a small lake. The island contained nothing more than a small hut that looked to be in disrepair.

"The terrain must have shifted in the Sacred Realm" said Zelda. "This must be an offshoot of Lake Hylia that somehow expanded into the area where Hyrule Castle should be located. I don't expect to find many Zoras here though. The waterway connecting this lake to Lake Hylia doesn't appear to be very wide, just a trickle. The problem we face now is getting off this island. We are close to land but I don't think we should try swimming, especially not with all of our supplies."

"I didn't bring a bunch of supplies with me when I was going after Zant" said Link. "All I brought was a sword, a shield, a bow, some arrows, some bombs, a dominion rod, two clawshots, a slingshot, a spinner, a lantern, some empty bottles, a fishing rod, a boomerang, a pair of iron boots, this weird device called a 'hawkeye', a horse whistle, two extra suits of armor, a ball and chain, and some rupees."

"Wow, you were roughing it" said Zelda. "Clearly, I am spoiled. I suppose we may have to make do with less."

"Or not" replied Link. "Maybe we can find some things to build a raft with. It doesn't look like that hut has been used in ages. Maybe we can tear off a wall and use it as a raft."

They ended up doing exactly that. The door to the hut had already fallen off the hinges so they grabbed the door to use as a raft. Unfortunately, they quickly discovered that the makeshift raft wouldn't support their weight. Even Zelda alone couldn't get on the door without it sinking.

"OK, new plan" said Zelda. "We put our supplies pack on the door and then we will just have to swim alongside the door. We will be soaked but at least our supplies will stay dry."

Link nodded. "Yes, it looks like that's what we will have to do. I'm an experienced swimmer, but do you think you will be alright?"

"Of course" replied Zelda. "I have enjoyed swimming since before I could walk. I will be fine. Let's get this part over with so that we can plan our next move."

The water was ridiculously cold. Link didn't remember Lake Hylia in Hyrule being nearly that cold. They swam quickly across the lake so that they could get out of the water before they caught hypothermia. When they reached the mainland, they were both shivering.

"C-C-C-Come On" said Zelda. "We need to go somewhere warmer."

"Death Mountain" said Link. "Or whatever the equivalent is here in the Sacred Realm. Maybe we won't have to make it that far. Maybe Kakariko Village has a counterpart here too."

Zelda couldn't summon the words to her throat to reply so she simply nodded. They walked briskly in the direction of Death Mountain. They didn't have to walk as far as they had originally anticipated. Lake Hylia wasn't the only terrain feature that had expanded. There were large deposits of igneous rock running from Death Mountain all the way to the outskirts of Hyrule Field. In some places, there were small pools of lava. These deposits eventually started getting closer to the lake. Near the focal point was a vast expanse of hot springs.

Link and Zelda practically ran towards the hot springs. Zelda fumbled with her belt buckle. She had wisely chosen to wear traveling clothes instead of a dress befitting a queen.

"My fingers are numb" she sputtered. "Help me with my belt, please."

Link also struggled with her belt buckle but was quickly able to get a few fingers under the flap to undo the buckle.

"Thanks" said Zelda wearily, her lips already a shade of blue, as she rushed to remove the rest of her drenched clothing. Link stripped just as hurriedly and then jumped into the hot spring. In retrospect, he realized that he should have tested the water first to avoid scalding his skin off, but luckily for him, it was hot enough to provide instant relief without being dangerous. Zelda slid in beside him.

The water only came up to Link's chest, so he bent his knees until the water was touching his chin. He suddenly burst out laughing, more out of relief than out of humor. Zelda joined in with his laughter.

"This feels sooooo gooooood" Zelda said, practically purring. "I thought I was going to freeze to death out there." She backed up until she was pressing her back up against Link's chest. Link wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

They stayed there in the hot spring in relative silence. Eventually, Link got over the icy grip of the cold lake and began to turn his attention to other bodily needs. He could feel Zelda's firm buttocks pressed up against his crotch, and he couldn't help but become aroused at the contact. This didn't go unnoticed by Zelda.

"I see you're feeling better" she said. "Fortunately for you, so am I. Let's dry off and then lay down a blanket from our pack. This time, I want you to decide how we do it."

The position Link chose was for Zelda to lie on her back with her legs spread while Link was facedown on top of her. Zelda informed him that this was the "deku baba" position. Link hated the carnivorous plants known as "deku babas", but he thoroughly enjoyed mounting Zelda. He looked into her eyes as he was thrusting slowly inside of her. Her eyes were glimmering with affection as she gazed back at him. She wrapped her legs around him and put her hands on his back as she guided his thrusting just the way she wanted.

Zelda's whole body was rocked by the wave of pleasure that enveloped her as she climaxed. Link finished closely behind her. He rolled over and rested beside Zelda.

"I have a question for you" said Link. "And I apologize if it's inappropriate or I seem like I'm asking too much."

"Link, you can ask me about literally anything you want to know. No more secrets. I'm an open book for you."

"Well, I don't really know much about how royalty behaves, but I had been under the impression that unmarried princesses and queens were expected to be... well, virgins?"

"Yes and no" replied Zelda. "Marriage plays a significant role in politics, especially where royalty is concerned. It's becoming less and less of an issue as political power becomes more and more centralized under my dynasty, but it still matters. Virginity has a tangential role in all of this. It's kind of hard to explain because I'm not sure I fully understand it myself. Basically, the giving of oneself fully to a marriage partner is symbolic of the alliances it represents. If a queen has had sex before with someone before marrying someone else, some people read too much into that as an omen of sorts."

"So is that going to cause a problem for you?"

"I sure hope not" said Zelda softly. "Link..." she started. She was now trembling slightly. "I am so nervous about bringing this up to you. I'm Queen of Hyrule but I'm nervous about saying this because of how important you are to me. I'm not going to engage in vague hints anymore. I'm going to be perfectly direct with you because I owe you that much. Losing my virginity to you would only matter politically if I were to marry someone else later, but I don't want to do that. I want to marry you and only you."

Link kissed her. "Done" he said. "Say no more. I will marry you, Zelda. I'm not a nobleman or a military officer or a foreign dignitary, but if you will have me, I want to be your husband."

Zelda smiled and pulled Link close in a loving embrace.

"You know what this means?" she asked, smiling as she wiped tears from her eyes. "You will be the first person in the history of Hyrule to go straight from goatherder to King."

"As long as you're my Queen, I will be happy" said Link.

"I will always be your Queen, Link. Always."


	11. Chapter 11

Zelda was so overjoyed that she demanded Link have sex with her again as soon as he was able to go again. Link was exhausted but happy to oblige. Afterwards, the found some dry clothes in their pack to put on. A wide dirt road was visible from the hot spring so they decided to follow that road to whatever town it led to.

The road led to a large city, or what was left of the city anyway. It looked to have been abandoned long ago. Some of the towering stone buildings were crumbling. It looked to be a city that at one time in the past would have rivaled even Hyrule Castle in its magnificence, but now it was a desolate ruin. As Link and Zelda approached the massive city gates, they had to crane their necks uncomfortably in order to see the tops of the buildings. As forbidding as the abandoned city looked, to Link and Zelda, it represented shelter from the elements and a sanctuary from which to plan their next moves.

As they entered the city, Link was amazed at the sight before him. Zelda looked interested but not particularly impressed. Most of the buildings were located near the city walls. In fact, many of the buildings were what composed the city walls. The inner portion of the city was mostly empty. There was a large square in the middle of the town, which had likely been a bustling market at one time. Now, the city was dead.

The building on the far side of the city from the entrance was one of the taller buildings. Zelda suggested that they make camp there, so they could use the building as a lookout point to watch for approaching trouble. The stairs were decrepit but made of stone so they were still usable. The view from the top floor was spectacular. They could see past the vast green field they had just come from all the way to the desert to the southwest. They stared at the view in silence for a moment before Link remembered something he had been meaning to ask.

"Zelda, I have another question about you" he said. "When we were in the Spirit Realm, I saw light coming out of your hand and engulfing Ganondorf. How did you do that?"

"I can use magic" replied Zelda matter-of-factly. "Several of my ancestors were able to do the same. The official explanation that the people of Hyrule are taught is that the bloodline of our dynasty is contains a link to the Goddess Hylia. While there is evidence that this is indeed true, there is another possible reason that we don't disclose to the public."

Zelda held up her fist to display the Triforce of Wisdom on her hand. "Every one of my ancestors who had the ability to use magic all possessed the Triforce of Wisdom. I was tutored in the use of magic by scholars at Hyrule Castle. Every princess receives basic magical instruction, just in case she is one day bestowed with the Triforce of Wisdom. I'm sure you realize what this means for you, Link. You possess the Triforce of Courage. Given the proper training, you too may be able to use magic. I will, of course, be happy to teach you all I know."

"We have time now" said Link. "That is, if you are feeling up to teaching me now."

"I can do that" said Zelda. "I don't expect you to master anything right away, but I can at least introduce you to the basics." Zelda spread a blanket out on the dusty ground. She sat down with legs crossed and held out her hands. "Sit down with me and grab my hands" she said.

Zelda had her eyes closed. Link sat across from her and held her hands. A strange sensation passed through him. His eyes were closed but he instinctively knew that his Triforce of Courage was glowing.

"I have possessed my piece of the Triforce a lot longer than you have possessed yours" said Zelda. "I have had most of my life to become attuned to its presence. You too must learn to attune your mind to your piece of the Triforce. The sensation you are feeling right now is coming from me. You must learn to seek out this same sensation on your own from your own piece of the Triforce. You must meditate on it in order to find it. I will help by guiding you. Now focus on finding the essence of your Triforce piece with your mind."

Link allowed Zelda to guide his mind to the place it needed to go. Near Lake Hylia, he had played a game involving riding down a rapid-filled river while he shot at targets with his bow. His mind felt like it was back on that river. His consciousness allowed Zelda to guide him through every twist and turn, all while the steady current pulled him closer to the Triforce of Courage at the end of this path.

Suddenly, Link was snapped out of his meditative state by a loud sound emanating from outside of the city. He was instantly on his feet, Master Sword in hand. "There's trouble" he growled.


	12. Chapter 12

Link stared out the nearest window and gasped at the sight in front of him. More moblins than he had ever seen in his life were barging through the city gates. Most were dressed in blood-stained chainmail and carrying crude iron weapons. A moblin dressed in plate armor was riding on a giant boar. That moblin held up a large horn and blew into it. The deafening groan that came out of the horn blared into Link's ears. The army of moblins responded with a terrifying roar that shook the building Link and Zelda were hiding in.

"Don't try to fight them" said Zelda. "There are far too many, even for you. You will just get yourself killed, and I can't let you do that. We need to find a way to sneak out of here."

"Agreed" said Link. "Let's move quietly and stay out of sight. Moblins can't see as well as we can, but there's no point in taking unnecessary risks. Let's head to the opposite side of the city. There's no going out from the front gate now."

Link led the way around the outskirts of the city. Many of the buildings were interconnected, but it was still slow going because the city was unfamiliar. Eventually, they came to a gap in between two of the buildings near one of the corners of the city.

"Look" whispered Zelda. "That cluster of buildings over there rises above the wall. I have some rope in our pack. If we can just make it above the wall, we can rappel down the back wall. I don't think the moblins thought to surround the city. They just all charged through the front gate. We are going to have to run out in the open to get to that building cluster there, so let's try to stay out of sight."

Link nodded. They exited the building they were in from the ground floor and jogged quietly towards the cluster of buildings at the back wall. Moblins were everywhere. They had already entered many of the buildings and were searching the city thoroughly. Link knew they had very little time. Suddenly, Link heard a familiar growl. He turned to his right and saw several moblins running at full speed directly towards him and Zelda. They had been spotted.

The Master Sword was in Link's hand in an instant. The closest moblin had a broken left horn. It's glowing red eyes were easily seen in the night. It opened its mouth in a battle cry. Link gazed at its rows of sharp teeth. He buried the Master Sword in the creature's forehead. He kicked the dead moblin off his sword, and then spun around to decapitate the moblin that was almost on top of Zelda. More moblins began charging towards them. Link grabbed Zelda by the arm and ran towards the doorway into the building they had been aiming for.

Seeing nothing to bar the doorway with, Link decided that their best course of action was to run for it. They rapidly ascended the stairs. Link's sides were cramping and he was winded but he knew that slowing down meant death. Zelda didn't appear to be in any better condition. Link was somewhat surprised to see a few moblins above them on the stairs. Link quickly dispatched them and kept running.

"Link!" cried Zelda. "They are setting the buildings on fire!" Link looked out the nearest window, and surely enough, the city was going up in flames. Triumphant howls rose up from the city below. The inferno engulfing the city seemed to excite the moblins' bloodthirst even more. Link knew that the moblins were endangering themselves by setting the city ablaze, but they were too enraptured by the prospect of killing to care.

Eventually, they reached the top of the building they were aiming for. Surely enough, they found a window that was located just slightly above the top of the city wall. Zelda already had a coil of rope in her hand that she had fished out of the pack. Link grabbed the rope and tied one end of it across a vertical divider between two windows located next to each other. Link had experience with knots so he was confident it would hold.

"You go first" he said to Zelda. "I will watch for moblins. Stick your hands in your shirt and grab the rope that way so you don't get rope burn. Remember, the moblins don't know we are escaping this way so let's not draw attention to ourselves."

"Got it" said Zelda. She kissed Link. "I will see you at the bottom." Zelda went out the window first. Link looked for moblins but quickly discovered that the rising flames were preventing the moblins from getting any closer. Link wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or worried. Once Zelda was safely down the rope, Link climbed out of the window and rappelled down the wall. Rappelling reminded him of using the clawshot, except not nearly as sturdy. Link smiled with relief when he finally felt flat ground beneath his feet. Zelda was waiting for him close by.

"Let's leave this place behind, Link" she whispered. "We need to find somewhere else". Link took her hand and walked with her as they left the screams and the flames behind and headed into the night.


	13. Chapter 13

Link and Zelda spent the night in a small cave at the base of Death Mountain. The heat was uncomfortable but not especially dangerous. They took turns staying awake to keep watch, just in case the moblin horde approached. Thankfully, they were left in peace.

Zelda wondered how they had been found. At first, she thought that the moblins could sense their exact location, but the fact that they hadn't been pursued made her reconsider. She decided that a more likely explanation was that Ganondorf had somehow warned his allies in the Sacred Realm of their imminent arrival, and the moblins had simply went straight towards the nearest landmark where they expected Link and Zelda to take shelter. Moblins weren't clever enough to think of that idea, so Zelda knew that they must have been directed by someone much more intelligent.

When morning arrived, they made their way further up Death Mountain. Link had discovered numerous horse tracks going up a path, so they concluded that there must be a human settlement on Death Mountain. It wasn't a very hospitable environment for humans, so Zelda concluded the humans may have been driven to Death Mountain involuntarily. She wondered if those humans had once lived in the abandoned city.

The hike was arduous, to say the least. Link thought he might pass out from the heat and from exertion. "My thighs and butt had better be very well-toned after all this hiking" muttered Zelda. Link pinched her butt. "I've got no complaints" he said. "It all looks perfect to me." Zelda laughed for the first time in a while. "You had better not complain if you know what's good for you."

After a long hike up Death Mountain, they found the civilization they had been looking for. As soon as they crossed over the peak, they could see a city down below in a valley. A river cut through a pass in the mountain and flowed down into the valley. Zelda never would have imagined that a place as dangerously hot as Death Valley could possibly contain such as oasis. After walking uphill for so long, it was a relief to finally be descending the mountain on the other side.

"Don't move!" Link exclaimed suddenly. He motioned for Zelda to look at the archers hiding on a nearby ridge. There were approximately twenty archers with arrows nocked and pointed at Link and Zelda. Every single one of the archers looked like they were ready to kill without hesitation at the slightest provocation. Zelda held up her hands.

"We mean no harm!" shouted Zelda. "I would like to speak with the person in charge here!"

Approximately half of the archers slowly stood up and walked down from the ridge to approach. They had lowered their bows but they all had their hands on their swords. They were dressed in leather armor and very basic helmets that didn't cover their faces. One of the soldiers stepped forward from the group and eyed Link and Zelda suspiciously.

"I am Captain Malcolm of the Fire Valley Guard. Who are you and why are you here?"

Zelda spoke for the two of them. "I am Queen Zelda of Hyrule, and this is Link, my betrothed. We are from the land of Hyrule. I don't know how to explain it other than to describe it as a parallel world of sorts to your own. It's kind of like how..."

"I know about Hyrule" interrupted Captain Malcolm. "My father was from Hyrule. There have been others who have entered our world from Hyrule before. And you say you are their Queen? Where is your army of soldiers to protect you?"

"My army could not make the journey" replied Zelda. "We had to pass through the Spirit Realm, land of the dead. Any soldiers I brought with me would have died instantly. Link and I survived because we are protected by the magic of the Triforce." Zelda held up her hand to display her piece of the Triforce.

"Well, we always have the most interesting visitors" said the Captain. "I will take you to meet our Chieftain, but I hope for your sake that you are being totally honest about what you just told me. We face threats from our enemies, so we have to be cautious, even a bit paranoid."

The Captain led them into the city. "Our home is called Fire Valley" explained the Captain. "The name is a bit confusing. Our home obviously isn't actually on fire. We are just located near the fire." He pointed up at the lava streams on the side of Death Mountain. "I'm not going to confiscate your weapons because you don't seem like the kind of people who would take that very well. Just don't make me regret it."

They were led into a large boarskin tent where the Chieftain and his bodyguards were waiting. The Chieftain was a tall muscular man dressed in a multicolor robe. He wore two swords at his waist. Despite his intimidating figure, his expression was reservedly friendly. "So you are the two my scouts reported" he said evenly. "I am Chieftain Tallon. Before we speak any further, I must ask how I can trust you not to betray the location of our home?"

"Simple" replied Zelda. "We wouldn't know who to betray you to. We just arrived last night from a distant land. We narrowly escaped from a bunch of moblins. You are the first humans we have encountered here."

"By 'faraway land', you mean Hyrule" stated the Chieftain flatly. "I have known others from Hyrule. Your manner of speech is similar. Of course, I can understand why you are uncomfortable discussing your place of origin. Some people end up here by accidents, some as victims of evil pranks, and others by interacting with very powerful magic. I suspect you are among the last group. Great power acts as a magnet for the power-hungry, you know."

"You are very perceptive" said Zelda. "I believe that we caught the attention of a particularly villainous soul on our journey through the Spirit Realm on our way here. I believe we have escaped danger though. I have discovered enough of his limitations to know that Ganondorf isn't omnipotent."

"Ganondorf you say" mused the Chieftain. "Now that's a name I'm familiar with. There is a religious cult that worships that green-skinned abomination. If you caught his attention while traveling through the Spirit Realm, does that mean that he is…"

"Dead" Zelda finished for him. "My betrothed, Link, killed him by driving a sword through his chest. I'm not one to delight in the deaths of others, but I must admit that I am definitely pleased that Ganondorf is no longer among the living."

Chieftain Tallon chuckled. "Well, nothing I have heard of Ganondorf inclines me to disagree with you. And you are certain Ganondorf doesn't know where you were headed?"

"I cannot be certain of anything where Ganondorf is concerned" said Zelda. "However, I believe he doesn't know our exact location. He just knows that we will be going after the Triforce of Power. Link already has the Triforce of Courage. I possess the Triforce of Wisdom. We need to find the Triforce of Power so that we can seal it away, where evil men like Ganondorf will never be able to find it."

"The Triforce of Power you say" mumbled the Chieftain. "I think you will have some difficulty obtaining that. The Triforce of Power has been possessed by Lord Ghirahim for ten years now, and he won't let it go easily."

"Lord Ghirahim!" gasped Zelda. "I have heard that name before! I read about him in Hyrule's history books. He was the servant of Demise, Ganondorf's predecessor as Demon King. As I understand it, Ghirahim was the spirit of Demise's sword, and the essence of that sword was absorbed into the Master Sword. Link now possesses the Master Sword, so Ghirahim would have had to have been released from his imprisonment in the Master Sword in order for him to be here."

"Maybe that's who Ganondorf was speaking of" said Link. "He said he had released a soul from the Master Sword and sent him here, but that doesn't explain how he has been here ten years already."

"It actually might explain it" said Zelda. "Ganondorf said that this spirit was able to traverse the Spirit Realm more rapidly than we could. Since the Spirit Realm is removed from time as we know it, it may be possible for Ghirahim to have traveled back in time on his way here. Unlike us mortals, an immortal spirit doesn't have the same limitations."

"That makes sense" said Link. "So at least we know who the enemy is now."

"But that still leaves one question unanswered" interjected the Chieftain. "If Ghirahim is merely the servant, then what became of the master?"


	14. Chapter 14

A tent was constructed for Link and Zelda. Despite the fact that the city had existed for almost eight years, it was still mostly tents, as if the residents had not yet resigned themselves to living in Fire Valley despite having lived there for over three decades.

The newly constructed tent was called "Queen Zelda's tent", as if Link's presence wasn't worth mentioning. The townspeople seemed to have a dim view of Link and Zelda sharing a tent since they were unmarried. Fortunately, they were sensible enough not to be openly rude about it. Zelda noticed that courtship among the people of Fire Valley was very reserved. She advised Link that they had better refrain from any public displays of affection when Link tried to hold her hand. Link was annoyed by this, but Zelda promised to make it up to him once they were alone. The hungry look in her eyes left Link with no doubt that she would make good on that promise.

Link found it difficult to reign in his affection for Zelda. Every touch they shared was a thrilling experience. He had been infatuated with girls before, most notably Ilia. He had even felt something for Midna, although those feelings were confusing to him for obvious reasons. But his love for Zelda was something different entirely. She wasn't an adolescent crush; she was the love of his life and he wanted everyone to know it. The thought of her being his wife exhilarated him.

Link had fantasies of taking Zelda back to his home in Ordon Village. He would take her fishing in the pond and walking in Faron Woods. But as pleasant as those fantasies were, he couldn't ask her to leave behind her role as Queen. She was his lover but also his Queen, so Link was determined to stand beside her as her King.

Later that afternoon, they attended a private meeting with the Chieftain, the officers of the Guard, and the Elders. The meeting was held in the Chieftain's tent. Link was left wondering what it was about, but Zelda already knew they wanted to talk about the Triforce of Power and what should be done about it. Surely enough, that was the topic they immediately brought up.

"The Chieftain tells me that you are after the Triforce of Power, and someone is likewise after you" said one of the Elders.

"That's right, Honored Elder" said Zelda. "I believe we have escaped from the immediate danger though. What remains to be seen is whether or not Lord Ghirahim was involved in the attack on the abandoned city."

"That city is Eloharn" said another Elder. "I remember when it was a magnificent city. It was the trading hub for the entire Eastern Province. When the moblins invaded the Eastern Province from The Forsaken Lands almost thirty years ago, Eloharn chose to resist. For that, the city was overrun and most of its people slaughtered or enslaved. Those who died in the invasion were the lucky ones. Those taken as slaves by the moblins wish they could die."

"You are from Eloharn, aren't you?" asked Zelda.

"Yes" replied the Elder, his face melancholy. "I was a younger man then. The moblins surrounded our city for four days before they finally busted through our gates. They were taunting us, wearing down our resolve, making us fearful so we would be cowering in terror when they finally came for us."

The Elder wiped his eyes. "I had an infant son. The moblins had no use for him so they slammed his head into the stone ground as I watched from afar. My wife was captured as a slave. I shot her through the heart with an arrow as they dragged her away. Better she be dead than have to live through the horrors they would have subjected her to."

"I think you made the best choice you could" said Zelda. "I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for you. I was guarded by moblins when I was held prisoner. I was considered to be a very high value prisoner so I wasn't harmed, but other people weren't as fortunate. I've seen how nasty those beasts are."

Tears were streaming down the Elder's face. "So you understand how concerned we are about the moblin attack you escaped. We cannot allow such a tragedy to ever happen to our people again. That is why we cannot allow you to stay here in Fire Valley."

Before Zelda could protest, the Chieftain held up a hand to catch her attention. "While the Honored Elder is right, we also cannot allow you to go on unaided. The only way you will ever retrieve the Triforce of Power is over Lord Ghirahim's dead body. If there is even a chance that you can defeat him, then I would like to see to it that we do what we can to help you. I have discussed the matter with the Elders and we have agreed that you may spend the night here in Fire Valley tonight, but you must leave in the morning. However, we will allow volunteers from the Guard to accompany you on your journey. A Queen should have a military escort, especially when there are so many dangers lurking about."

"Thank you, Chieftain" said Zelda. "We can use all the help we can get."

"I'm not finished yet, Queen Zelda" interjected the Chieftain. "Defending our home is the primary responsibility of the Guard. That mission takes precedence over your mission. The Guard will escort you, but do not expect them to wage war on your behalf. If you try to lead them into battle, don't be surprised if they leave you and return to us. They are not cowards, but they are not likely to throw their lives away protecting your homeland instead of their own homeland."

"I can understand that" said Link. "There is nothing cowardly about wanting to defend one's home. Zelda and I still appreciate the assistance. I am hoping to keep conflict to a minimum anyway. I have fought moblins before back in Hyrule, but never have I seen so many as you have in your world."

"Unfortunately, you will likely see plenty more moblins on your journey" said the Chieftain. "The moblins come from the Forsaken Lands to the southwest. They have been raiding human settlements for generations, but they are mainly concentrated in the Forsaken Lands. Unfortunately, Lord Ghirahim chose the Forsaken Lands to build his palace when he arrived ten years ago. Only a being as dangerous as Ghirahim would choose to make a home among the savage beasts. Strangely enough, he has had a somewhat pacifying effect on the moblins. Their raids into human territory have become less frequent since his arrival. That should be all the more troubling for you though. That means that the Forsaken Lands will likely be swarming with moblins, since they are leaving their home less frequently now. You had better devise a plan unless you want to find yourself surrounded on all sides by a massive army of moblins."

"I greatly appreciate your insight into these matters, Chieftain" said Zelda. "Even if Lord Ghirahim has managed to reduce raids by moblins, we must still kill him before he kills us. If he is allowed to obtain the full Triforce, he could cause more trouble than the moblins ever could. Both your world and my world would be doomed if that ever happened."

The Chieftain nodded. "You make a good argument, but I must stand by my original offer. Our soldiers will not go to war on your behalf, merely escort you. I appreciate the seriousness of the threat you are describing, but that is all I can do for you, especially given the history of my people."

"I understand, Chieftain" said Zelda. "I apologize if I sounded unappreciative. Now, if I may be excused, Link and I must retire to our tent to strategize."


	15. Chapter 15

They left Fire Valley the next morning, escorted by approximately forty soldiers, including Captain Tallon. Much to Zelda's relief, they were provided with horses. Link may have been content to walk but Zelda preferred to avoid getting blisters on her feet. Their party took a longer route around the mountain instead of going over it. They followed the course of the river through the pass in the mountains. This meant the air was much cooler than it was on the fiery summit.

They passed a few moblins as they rode. Fortunately, these few were expertly and ferociously dispatched by the soldiers. The soldiers were seething with hatred for the moblins as they hacked the beasts into pieces. Link wanted to help but Captain Tallon insisted that his soldiers could handle such small numbers of moblins easily and suggested that Link should conserve his strength for a real emergency. Zelda agreed with the Captain's logic. She reminded Link that they didn't know what trouble may lay ahead, and that he should keep his body and mind sharp. Link grudgingly kept the Master Sword sheathed.

After several days of steady riding, they were close to the Forsaken Lands. Captain Tallon mentioned that there was a human city about half a mile to the west, and suggested stopping there to resupply. This revelation unsettled Zelda rather than comforted her.

"How is it possible for a city to be this close to the Forsaken Lands and still remain standing."

The Captain shrugged. "No idea. I've never actually been to this place before. Maybe they have really good defenses."

"Unlikely" said Zelda. "Moblins are creatures of instinct. If a city is located right in front of their eyes, they will stop at nothing to take it. No amount of defenses will deter them. They may retreat temporarily, but they will persist until they get what they want. I suspect this city may have some sort of arrangement with the moblins. If that's the case, then we need to be especially cautious when entering the city. If they knew who we were, word could reach the moblins. And that means that word of our presence would also reach Lord Ghirahim. I would rather not give away our position until we are ready to make a move."

"Agreed" said the Captain. "Maybe you can pretend to be traveling merchants."

"No, that won't work" said Zelda. "Traveling merchants from where? That's the sort of question the merchant disguise would elicit. I haven't seen any other trading hubs on our journey, so I would imagine that this city wouldn't receive very many merchants passing through. We would arouse suspicion."

The Captain scratched his goatee as he grimaced. "You make a good point, Queen Zelda. I was hoping my men could pose as bodyguards for a wealthy merchant, but I suppose it won't work for the reasons you described. I hate to turn you lose without protection, but you and Link may have to enter the city alone while my men make camp out of sight. Just be sure to dress simply so you don't attract too much attention."

"That should work" said Zelda. "We will try to get in, barter for some supplies, and get out. Link will pose as a goat rancher and I will pose as his wife."

"And that wouldn't be much of a stretch on either count" said Link. "What's the name of this city anyway?"

"Mormaht" replied Captain Tallon. "Apparently it's a rather large city ruled by a Count Munro and his Knight Council. But I wouldn't recognize him so I probably wouldn't do you any good in there."

"Well, I suppose you could make camp here" suggested Zelda. "Link and I can go on foot."

Link discarded his armor, opting instead for a simple green tunic and hat. He left his shield and bow behind but couldn't bring himself to leave his Master Sword, so he brought that with him. He wrapped the scabbard in leather strips so as to hide its ornate decoration. Zelda was already dressed simply, as one would expect of a rancher's wife. Her noble bearing was harder to disguise but she did her best to put on the countenance and mannerisms of a submissive rural housewife.

They didn't have to walk for very long before the sprawling city came into view. The buildings weren't tall like the buildings of Eloharn, but it was spread out, like a bunch of smaller towns were shoved together. Mormaht notably lacked walls or significant fortifications of any sort. Zelda didn't have proof that Mormaht had an arrangement with the moblins but they certainly weren't relying on fortifications of any kind to keep them out. Link and Zelda simply walked into Mormaht.

They rented a room in the first tavern they saw. The accommodations definitely weren't the sort Zelda was accustomed too, but after several days of camping in tents, the feather-stuffed mattress felt amazing. She flopped onto the bed and stretched her arms and legs as soon as she entered the rented room. Link flopped down beside her. He was also exhausted from their long travels. After almost an hour of lying there in silence staring at the water-stained ceiling, Zelda finally sat up.

"Let's go downstairs to the common room and get some food. Maybe we can learn something about this city."


	16. Chapter 16

The tavern's common room was busy. If the tavern wasn't filled to capacity already, then it must have been close, concluded Zelda. They found a small table wedged in a corner. It appeared to be the only empty space available so they took it. A barmaid spotted them almost immediately and came walking up to them.

"Some ale for you two?" asked the barmaid.

"Wine actually" said Zelda.

"We got some wine in the back" said the barmaid. "But it's a little pricey. I hope you have the money to pay."

Zelda discreetly handed her a purple rupee. "If you know where we can trade for supplies discreetly, I would be appreciative." Zelda leaned closer so she could speak more quietly. "And generous" she added, flashing another purple rupee. "But we just keep this between us, understand? Our business is our own and we value privacy."

The barmaid nodded and walked towards the back of the tavern. Link leaned closer to Zelda. "You didn't ask me if I wanted wine" he said.

"Trust me" said Zelda. "You do. The wine is expensive so it's going to only be ordered by customers that they want to really take care of. Ale is cheap, and we aren't used to the ingredients they use here. I don't want to have a bad stomach reaction to bad ale."

Link suddenly buried his face in his hands. "Oh no..." he mumbled. "Zelda, you bring up a good point about the local ingredients. We aren't from here so we don't know what they use. That made me realize that there are a lot of other things that we don't know. For example, we know that rupees are also the accepted currency in the Sacred Realm, but what is to say that the value of those rupees is the same as what they are in Hyrule? Fifty rupees is generous in Hyrule, but what is fifty rupees worth here? You may have just handed her a fortune or you may have given her an insultingly small amount."

Zelda winced. "Good point. She didn't give us much of a reaction, which means she is used to matters of discretion. That's what I was hoping, but it could also be bad for us too."

"What made you decide to bribe a barmaid for information?" asked Link.

"Simple" replied Zelda. "Taverns on the outskirts of any city, especially a city like this, are often more likely to engage in illegal business than establishments closer to the scrutiny of authorities. There are a few such taverns in Castle Town that I have my spies keeping an eye on."

"Why would you knowingly allow illegal activity to go on right under your nose?" asked Link.

"You will understand more with time" replied Zelda. "For now, it should suffice to say that such underground channels have allowed our spies to gather enough information to stop several serious threats to Hyrule."

The barmaid came back, pitcher in hand. She set down two goblets on the table. She whispered to Zelda as she poured. "You said you wanted to shop discreetly. Does your shopping list include weapons?" she inquired.

"My shopping list is diverse" replied Zelda cryptically. "If you know someone who specializes in diversity, then I wouldn't be opposed to the inclusion of weapons in our business."

"Then Sir Gamelon is the person you want to speak to" said the barmaid. "I will send him a message right away via a courier about your generosity. He will be happy to meet with you. He receives guests looking to conduct business in the early morning hours at his house near the center of Mormaht. It's actually located very close to Count Munro's palace. I can pass a message to him to let him know to expect you."

"Thank you for the information" said Zelda. "I always remember to repay hospitality." She slipped the barmaid another purple rupee.

Zelda and Link remained at their table for another hour to keep up appearances before retiring to their room. The next morning, they set out for Sir Gamelon's house. The barmaid had been telling the truth. They were expected. A servant greeted them at the front gate of the massive house and then led them into Sir Gamelon's library where Sir Gamelon was expecting them.

Zelda had long ago surmised that Sir Gamelon was a member of the Knight Council. The man was older than she had anticipated though. He was sitting in a leather chair, staring pensively at the paintings on his wall. He smiled when he saw them.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Queen Zelda. And your companion must be Link, the one who defeated Ganondorf in a swordfight. Even an experienced duelist like myself cannot help but be impressed."

Zelda's fingers brushed the hilt of the knife she had hidden in her pocket. She looked taken aback. "How do you know who we are?" she demanded.

"Few noteworthy people escape my attention" replied the old knight. "Nothing eventful happens without my knowing. As you have already learned, I am a man who has a talent for acquiring items of value. I know of a means of traveling to and from Hyrule. I don't know how you came to leave Hyrule to come here, but there is more than one door between worlds. I happen to have my own door. So yes, I am familiar with your homeland, having been there and back numerous times. In fact, I personally attended your coronation. Such a magnificent event that was!"

"How are you able to travel to Hyrule?" asked Zelda.

"By the Count's good graces" replied Sir Gamelon. "Count Munro is a powerful wizard. It's not exactly a secret but it also isn't something that he publicly displays either. He possesses an enchanted mirror that allows for travel to Hyrule. Use of the mirror is a privilege he grants to only a select few people who have his favor."

"You seem very forthcoming with this information" said Zelda. "Why?"

Sir Gamelon grinned mischievously. "Let's just say that Lord Ghirahim has been bad for business. I am being helpful because it would benefit me greatly if you were to eliminate him. And if something were to also happen to Count Munro, I wouldn't be displeased."

"I'm not going to be your hired assassin!" Link said, practically snarling.

"Pity" muttered Sir Gamelon. "I have employed the services of hired assassins in the past. You are an assassin in a way, but you are motivated by justice, not money. That's fine by me as long as you work towards my purposes. Count Munro and Lord Ghirahim are both objectively wicked tyrants that both need to be disposed of."

"Lord Ghirahim is obvious but what has Count Munro done?" asked Link.

"How do you think he has managed to prosper so close to the Forsaken Lands?" asked Sir Gamelon rhetorically. "There used to be more human settlements nearby. When the moblin population began to surge in population, most people saw that as a crisis. Count Munro saw it as an opportunity. He made a deal with the moblins. He would provide them with a steady supply of slaves from other settlements. He made towns and villages bid on their freedom. Some places were left destitute after giving Count Munro everything they had in exchange for their liberty. Other places weren't so lucky, and their populations were either enslaved or sometimes tortured to death just for the moblins' sick amusement!"

"Your moral outrage is very convincing" said Zelda. "If I didn't know any better, I might think you were sincere."

"Mock me if you like, Queen" spat Sir Gamelon. "But I am the one who sees the world with clarity. You may be a Queen but I'm the one who knows how power really works. It is I who will always come out on top. Don't ever forget that."

"Let's get to the point" said Link. "What do you want us to do for you and what are you offering?"

"The primary thing of value that I have to offer you is information" replied Sir Gamelon. "I am just pointing you in the right direction. As for what I want you to do, that's a little more straightforward. I want you to break into Count Munro's castle, find the Enchanted Mirror, and bring soldiers back from Hyrule to oust the Count from power. I will then assume control in the interim until the Knight Council officially appoints me to be the new Count."

"You are a devious man" said Zelda. "But your plan won't work. We had to pass through the Spirit Realm on the way from Hyrule to this land. The spirit of Ganondorf would have killed us if we hadn't had the protection of the Triforce. If I try to bring an army of soldiers with me, they would all be massacred instantly by his allies."

"Ah, but what if you could get to Hyrule without going through the Spirit Realm?" asked Sir Gamelon. "You used the Spirit Realm as a tunnel of sorts to get from one place to another. But imagine if the starting point and the ending point were to be compressed until they were directly connected with each other with no space in between? Despite his faults, Count Munro is a genius. Normally, the Spirit Realm would act as a connector between the two, but Count Munro enchanted his entire castle to allow it to absorb the essence of the Spirit Realm into the very walls of the castle. In a way, the Spirit Realm coexists with the Sacred Realm within the confines of the castle. By absorbing the Spirit Realm into itself, the enchantment on the castle enables the enchantment on the mirror to connect directly to Hyrule bypassing the Spirit Realm."

"Interesting theory" said Zelda. "But why go through all that trouble? If Count Munro is really so powerful, couldn't he find a way to protect himself while traveling through the Spirit Realm?"

"But the mirror isn't for him only" replied Sir Gamelon. "It's also for his soldiers. Count Munro eventually plans to send his army through the mirror to invade Hyrule when the opportunity presents itself."

"Say no more" said Zelda. "If he plans to threaten my homeland, we will stop him."


	17. Chapter 17

Sir Gamelon's house contained an underground tunnel that led straight to the castle. He told Link and Zelda that Count Munro was fully aware of the existence of the tunnel and had sold Sir Gamelon the house for that very reason. The reason given by Count Munro was that Sir Gamelon would be able to retreat to the safety of the castle in times of uprising. Sir Gamelon mused that the real reason for the tunnel was so Count Munro could eliminate him if he ever became a threat to the Count's power. Zelda learned a lot about the power dynamics between the Count and the Knight Council from this little quip.

The tunnel was dark but Sir Gamelon had provided them with a candle, which made the journey through the tunnel somewhat easier. Eventually, the tunnel opened into a large room. Torches burned in the corners. The room was dimly lit but it was illuminated enough for Link to extinguish the candle.

"Not this again" he muttered. "I don't remember how many times I have delved into a big dark dungeon before. I'm guessing I'm going to have to find a bunch of keys to keep track of, grab a unique weapon that I will probably never use again, and then fight some ridiculously powerful monster at the end, only to be magically teleported back outside immediately afterwards."

"I'm hoping it won't be that bad" said Zelda. "I want to investigate Sir Gamelon's claims about Count Munro to see if this Count really does pose a threat to Hyrule, but I'm not eager to be Sir Gamelon's pawn either. Anyone who thinks they can manipulate me so easily severely underestimates me. Let's just let him think we are doing his bidding for now, but I prefer to avoid a direct confrontation with Count Munro until we have the politics of this wretched city figured out."

The entire lower floor of the castle appeared to be completely deserted. Link had seen people going in and out of the castle through the front gate but it was obvious that the lower floor hadn't been inhabited in a long time. The fact that an obviously abandoned part of the castle had actively burning torches was slightly troubling. Obviously, Sir Gamelon made frequent trips through this area but it didn't make sense for the torches to stay perpetually lit. Of course, he had seen stranger sights before, he reminded himself.

"Who are you?" asked a raspy voice from behind. Link spun around, his Master Sword was already in his hand. A poe was floating in front of his face. It's translucent form was holding a scythe that Link knew to be deadly. He was surprised that he could see a poe since he wasn't in wolf form anymore. He assumed that there was something unique about either the castle or the Sacred Realm itself that made it possible for him to see poes. Judging by Zelda's startled gasp, he concluded that she could see the poe as well.

"You don't have the master's permission to be here!" hissed the poe angrily. "Begone at once or my scythe shall peel the skin from your bones and your soul will be trapped here forever."

Link casually sliced through the poe's neck. The poe was somewhat solid as evidenced by the slight resistance Link felt when cutting through its neck but the poe appeared unharmed after what should have been a decapitating strike.

"Foolish human!" it hissed. "Your useless weapon cannot harm us. Now my brothers and sisters will make you pay!"

Swarms of poes began to materialize from the walls. They flew in circles around Link and Zelda. Link charged forward and began slashing at the poes. "Get out of here!" he shouted at Zelda.

"But you won't be able to defeat these poes!" cried Zelda. "They will kill you! You need to escape too. Hurry! There's no time!"

Link rolled under a poe's scythe as it narrowly missed his face. He brought the Master Sword up and caught the poe under an arm and flung it backwards. "I'm not going to make it!" he yelled to Zelda. "Just go! I will hold them off!"

Suddenly, a bright light filled the room. Link blocked a scythe with his blade and then looked back over his shoulder. The light was emanating from Zelda's hand, the same hand that bore the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom. The poes all began to moan loudly. They shielded their eyes as if blinded. Link took this opportunity to hack them to pieces. This time, any poe his sword cut down actually stayed down. They evaporated into a white mist when they fell. Link noticed that Zelda was doing her part to finish off the poes by stabbing those remaining with her rapier.

Link grabbed his knees and panted until he regained his breath. "That was amazing" he sputtered. "I really need to learn that trick." Zelda gave no response. She was looking very sullen. "Zelda? What's wrong?"

"Sir Gamelon was right about the Count" she said. "The poe who spoke said we aren't permitted here by their 'master'. When I used my magic to make the poes fully corporeal, I saw a glimmer of their reality in my mind. Their master is Count Munro, and I also saw something else. He has been spying on me, even before I ever set foot in the Sacred Realm. His magic has somehow infiltrated Hyrule Castle. He has observed my meetings with diplomats. He has seen me consult with generals about defensive strategy. He has even watched me bathe." Zelda shuddered at her last sentence.

"We have been so concerned by Ganondorf, Ghirahim, and the moblin horde, but Count Munro may be the most immediate danger." said Link. "An invasion by Mormaht's army would be bad enough, but if they are in league with the moblins, then Hyrule would really be in trouble." A chill ran down Link's spine as he imagined Ordon Village succumbing to the same fate as Eloharn.

Zelda pounded a fist against a wall, not seeming to notice that she slammed her hand against solid stone. "I'm not a naturally violent person" said Zelda. "And I know you well enough to know that you aren't either, but we have both been pushed into circumstances beyond our control that have required us to act against our nature in order to protect those we care about. We have to do the same now. As a Queen, it feels odd for me to say this, but let's go assassinate a ruler."


	18. Chapter 18

"Link, look at that!" exclaimed Zelda. She was pointing at a large chest. They had been wandering around hopelessly lost until they finally stumbled into the large empty room the chest sitting in the center of the room.

Link carefully walked towards the chest, his eyes darting around the room to look for traps. Satisfied that there was nothing lurking in a corner, he yanked down the latch on the chest and flung it open. Inside was an ornate black cape with gold designs decorating it. Link carefully lifted it up and held it out in front of him to get a better look at it.

Zelda gasped loudly. "That looks like a roc cape!" she exclaimed. "I remember seeing that when I was a little girl. Our court wizard had one. He let me try it on and it made me feel as light as air. Apparently, these capes are made from the feathers of a rare bird called a 'roc'. The cape must then be sealed with a powerful enchantment so that the roc's essense is contained. You should try it on, Link!"

Link carefully wrapped the cape around himself and fastened the silver buckle near his neck. He began to feel different shortly after putting it on. It was as Zelda had described. He felt lighter, and less constrained by gravity. He looked up at the high ceiling of the room. He felt a longing to soar high through the air.

"Can I fly?" he asked.

"Unfortunately not" replied Zelda. "That would be very useful. I believe this cape will enable you to jump much higher but you won't be able to remain airborne for any extended length of time."

"It's still awesome!" shouted Link as he leaped high into the air. He appeared to hang in midair briefly before lightly coming back to the ground. He immediately performed a backflip that was almost as high as his first jump.

"Please don't get yourself killed" muttered Zelda, her eyes rolling. "I intend to marry you soon, and I won't let you break your neck to get out of it."

Link spotted a window above his head. He pointed it out to Zelda. "I thought I saw something through that window. Grab onto me and I will get us through there."

Zelda walked up behind Link and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Jumping with Zelda on his back was more difficult but Link still managed to leap through the window. As they descended on the other side, Link willed the cape to slow them down. As if reading his thoughts, the air around them thickened as they approached the ground to slow their fall. They lightly touched down on the floor. Zelda slid off Link's back.

"That must be the mirror!" she exclaimed excitedly. Link looked towards where she was pointing. Pressed against the back wall was an enormous mirror. It's design reminded him of the Mirror of Twilight but much bigger. It was big enough for an army, thought Link to himself.

"Yes, it is the mirror" said an irritated voice above them. Link and Zelda looked up to see a man dressed in a hooded robe floating in the air above them. "I'm known publicly as Count Munro. I hear you have been looking for me for the purpose of assassination. Well here I am. Assassinate me if you can. My true name is Vaati. I am the great Wind Sorcerer. I will destroy you and send your shredded bodies through the mirror as a warning to Hyrule that their end is near!"

Vaati's purple-tinted skin began to change texture. His entire body turned to stone, yet he could still move with ease.

"Your Master Sword is powerful but my stone body is invulnerable. Attack me if you dare."

Link motioned for Zelda to hide in the narrow space under the mirror. He then jumped upwards towards Vaati. The Wind Sorcerer easily moved out of the way and blasted Link with a burst of air. Link planted his feet into the wall to avoid being killed by the impact.

"You fool!" bellowed Vaati. "That roc's cape puts you adrift like a feather in the wind, but you forget one thing. I AM THE WIND!"

Vaati formed a giant sphere of wind in front of him. Much to Link's surprise, he was actually able to see the wind. It was colored white and blue. He surmised that the roc's cape was allowing him to see it. A long spike suddenly protruded from the ball of wind. Link ran away but the spike curved its path to follow him. Seeing no other options, he leaped on top of the wind spike, finding that the force of the compressed air provided somewhat solid footing.

Link charged up the spike, his Master Sword in his hand, eager to be used. Vaati shot another wind spike at Link, who only barely dodged it. Link noticed a small ripple beginning to form in the wind sphere. Link couldn't dodge the next wind spike sent in his direction. He desperately shielded himself with the blade of the Master Sword. Much to his surprise, the wind dissipated when it hit the blade. His sword had the power to repel evil, but he didn't expect it to literally repel Vaati's wind magic.

The ripple in the wind sphere was still there. Link knew what he had to do. He hopped on top of another wind spike that Vaati shot at him. He leaped upwards, angling himself towards a wall. He then kicked off the wall, sending him further upwards while narrowly dodging another wind spike.

Link was now within arm's reach of the sphere. "Hiyaaa!" he screamed as he brought down the Master Sword and sliced through the ripple. It felt like the air around them exploded. A loud percussive sound emanated from the sphere as a streak of light flashed into being and penetrated Vaati's stone body. His stone skin turned to solid glass as he fell from the air. When he hit the ground, his glass body shattered. Link used the roc's cape to carefully guide his descent until he landed safely on the ground.

The sound of wind filled the room. "I will return!" howled a voice. It sounded vaguely like Vaati, as if he were speaking into a propeller. "Oh no you won't" said Link as he held up his hand. The Triforce of Courage lit up as he intensified his focus on the shards of Vaati. Flames flashed all around the room engulfing each and every glass shard and then extinguishing in a flash, leaving no trace of Vaati except a wind cloud. Link shoved the Master Sword into the wind cloud and it was sucked into the blade. The Master Sword had absorbed powerful magic in the past, and now it had just absorbed Vaati's power.

"Link, did you just use magic?" asked Zelda as she crawled out from underneath the mirror. Link stared at his hand. "I believe so" he replied. "It was as if the Triforce itself were trying to rid the world of Vaati. I just acted on instinct."

"Same with your Master Sword" Zelda mused. "Listen, Link. I have a theory about the true nature of the Master Sword and its relationship to the Triforce. I want to talk to you about it when we are back in Hyrule Castle."

"Of course" said Link. "Off to Hyrule Castle then."


	19. Chapter 19

Travel to Hyrule was instantaneous. It was exactly as Sir Gamelon had described. Zelda touched the mirror, causing the outer edges to glow with a golden light. She grabbed Link's hand and together they stepped into the mirror. Its seemingly solid surface was actually almost entirely illusory. Walking through the mirror was like walking through air. It felt like they had simply walked through a hole in the wall, except it was actually a hole between worlds.

When they emerged out on the other side, they were in a cave. The lower floors of Vaati's castle had been illuminated, but the cave they now found themselves in was dark. The only sources of light were coming from the surface and from the faint glow of the mirror's magic. The cave floor was smooth like the texture of glass. All that remained of the mirror was a faint outline of golden light. When they emerged out of the cave and into the light of day, they immediately saw Hyrule Castle in the distance.

Within about half an hour, they arrived at the castle gate. "Queen Zelda!" cried out one of the guards. "Open the gate!" he shouted. "The Queen is back!" A cheer rose up from behind the walls as the large metal gate was raised by a pulley system. Zelda and Link were immediately greeted by soldiers lined up on either side, saluting them as they walked past. They entered the castle and strode towards the Royal Guard barracks.

A lieutenant was sitting behind a desk in the barracks lobby. He immediately jumped to his feet and saluted Zelda. "At ease, Lieutenant" she said. "We have need of soldiers for a dangerous mission. You have two days to gather together your best men. We are invading a desert land swarming with moblins, so plan appropriately."

"But Your Majesty", I'm just a lieutenant" he protested. Zelda nodded. "Of course. Relay my orders to your commanding officer then. Either way, be advised that it's a dangerous mission but one that is vital to the safety of Hyrule." The Lieutenant saluted her again. "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Two days?" asked Link as they departed the barracks. "Can we afford to wait that long?"

"We will have to" replied Zelda. "Two days really isn't much time at all for preparation. I would like to have at least a month but that would mean Lord Ghirahim has more time too. I wasn't planning on this mission being so urgent but Ganondorf forced us to hurry when he tipped off his allies in the Sacred Realm."

"So what do we do now?" asked Link.

"Well I am going to check on affairs here at the castle" replied Zelda. "I need to be informed of what has been happening in my absence. You can do whatever you wish, but I would suggest getting some rest first. Your fight with Vaati has clearly made you exhausted."

Link nodded and headed towards his chambers. He collapsed on the soft bed. The fight with Vaati had taken more out of him than he liked to admit. The surprise of facing such a powerful for was unnerving. His fights with Zant and Ganondorf had been planned confrontations, but he hadn't expected this "Count Munro" figure to actually be the legendary wind sorcerer Vaati. He wondered whether he would be taken by surprise like that again. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door open behind him.

"Master Link!" a familiar voice cried excitedly. "Serana?" said Link as he rolled over to look at her. She was standing in the doorway smiling coyly at him. Something was different about her but Link couldn't tell what it was exactly.

"Queen Zelda commanded me to see to it that your needs are met" she said, walking slowly towards the bed. "Whatever those needs may be."

"I'm on a comfortable bed" said Link. "After a very long day, that's all I need right now."

"Well that is an awfully big bed for just one person" said Serana. "Maybe I should join you."

Alarm bells were ringing in Link's head. He knew something was off about Serana. Despite his intuition telling him there was something wrong, he began to be lulled into a sense of passivity by Serana's intoxicating eyes.

"You must have had a hard time out there. Your muscles are tired and shaky. Let me help you feel better." Serana licked her lips sensually as she ran a hand over the front of Link's trousers. She reached back behind her head and moved her hair back out of the way. It soon became obvious to Link what she wanted to do.

Before he could say anything, the door to the bedchamber was flung open. Zelda stood there in the doorway. She had an arrow nockedd in her bow and it was pointed straight at Serana. Zelda's face was contorted with seething rage.

"Get away from her, Link!" she said angrily. "That's not Serana."

Link rolled out of the way just in time to avoid Serana's knife plunging into the mattress. Zelda immediately loosed her arrow and sent it plunging into Serana's back. Serana let out an otherwordly howl as she ripped out the arrow from her chest. Chunks of flesh and blood spilled out into the floor along with the arrow but Serana didn't seem to notice. She lunged at Zelda, but Zelda managed to narrowly dodge her and shout to the guards waiting outside.

Guards starting piling in through the doorway. The guard in the lead rammed his sword into Serana's neck. Blood sprayed from the slit in her neck and came oozing out of her eyes. She shrieked in rage as she grabbed the guard's sword by the blade and tore it out of his hands. The blade cut deeply into her palm but she paid no attention to it.

Link was back on his feet and lunged at Serana. His Master Sword pierced her heart. She was momentarily stunned by the power of the Master Sword. Guards had her completely surrounded in an instant and began hacking her to pieces. In seconds, her shrieking came to a sudden halt. Pieces of her shredded body were lying in a bloody puddle on the floor.

Everyone in the room stared at the gruesome mess on the floor in stunned silence for a moment before Link found the words to speak.

"Please tell me you are sure that this wasn't really Serana."

Zelda looked at him. A tear was trailing down her cheek. "I know it wasn't her because I saw Serana's dead body. She was murdered. An ancient spell had been used to sap the life force from her and use it to create this imposter. Most people wouldn't have recognized the magic used and would have simply assumed she died of unknown causes. It seems Vaati had one last surprise waiting for us."


	20. Chapter 20

It didn't require much discussion for everyone to agree that Link shouldn't sleep in his own bedchamber. Castle staff members were cleaning up the bloody mess that had been left in the room, but it was still disconcerting for Link to even think about setting foot in that room again. Although the Serana imposter wasn't human, it certainly looked like one. Hacking it up into pieces had been sickening to his stomach.

Zelda informed Link that he would share her bedchamber that night, and that she would just have to tolerate whatever gossip came of it. They would also have heavily armed elite guards standing outside of their door throughout the night. The hulking muscular guards posted for the duty looked every bit as imposing as Ganondorf himself. Zelda and Link lay in bed next to each other. They were both still stunned from what had happened. Finally, Link found a way to put words to what had been on his mind.

"Zelda, we should talk about our mission. You stated before that there is a connection between the Master Sword and the Triforce. I want to know what you mean."

"The history of the Master Sword goes back a very long time, and I'm not really sure how accurate it is" said Zelda. "What I do know was that the Master Sword as we know it now was once in a different form. This was back when it was the Goddess Sword."

"Goddess Sword? What goddess?"

"Hylia" replied Zelda. "As you can probably guess, Hyrule was named after Hylia. I am a direct descendant of Hylia's reincarnation. Her reincarnation was also named Zelda. There have been other notable people with the same name throughout history. My reign will add to this confusion even more. Anyway, the Goddess Hylia created the Goddess Sword to aid her chosen hero in a time when the world was once again threatened by evil."

"And then it became the Master Sword?" guessed Link.

"Her chosen hero was the one who enabled that transformation" replied Zelda. "He acquired three sacred flames from the sacred dragons, who acted as emissaries of a sort for the goddesses who created the world. The flames contained the essences of power, wisdom, and courage. As you already know, these correspond to the parts of the Triforce."

"So these sacred flames are what give the Master Sword this connection to the Triforce?" asked Link.

"That's what I thought too at one time" replied Zelda. "But I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that, and here is where we get into more advanced Triforce theory. Adding the flames was necessary in order to open the Gate of Time. I am not clear on the reasons why the hero had a need to do that, but the sacred flames were needed to do so. It's not so much that the sacred flames possessed great power in and of themselves, but rather it was the fact that they established a common language of sorts."

"Common language?"

"Well, that's one way to look at it. It's hard to explain. The Gate of Time most likely derived its power from the Triforce. However, the Gate itself lacked intelligence. It could not read the will of its user, and without will, there can be no purpose. The sacred flames were personified essences, and thus able to communicate with the Gate of Time through the Master Sword. Because the Gate of Time was powered by the Triforce, it would only respond to all three essences being present simultaneously. But again, these flames only provided the framework for interacting with a derivative of the Triforce's power, and these flames alone are insufficient for interacting with the Triforce directly."

"So then what is sufficient?" asked Link.

"That's where I'm getting into pure conjecture" replied Zelda. "The Master Sword was created long after the Triforce but the Goddess Sword wasn't. I believe that the Goddess Sword contains a design for a key of sorts to be forged. The interesting thing about most keys is that their properties aren't really that important. What matters is the knowledge of what the key is unlocking."

Link nodded. "Right. If you know the shape of the lock, you know what shape to imprint on the key."

"Precisely!" exclaimed Zelda. "The key doesn't have to contain any other special properties. You just have to possess the requisite knowledge to make a one-time imprint of the correct shape. Except in the case of the Master Sword, the imprinting doesn't exactly refer to a physical shape but rather to a magical code of sorts."

"And the original Goddesses Sword was imprinted with this code?" asked Link.

Zelda grinned and shook her head. "No, it was imprinted with one-third of this code. The Triforce requires a balance of its attributes. The sacred flames were balanced among one another, but they could not provide balance to the sword's code, because the original Goddess Sword was inherently unbalanced!"

"Now you have really lost me" muttered Link, his head hurting. "My travels throughout Hyrule have forced me to solve some complicated puzzles but this is still beyond me."

"But that's only because I haven't yet told you the rest of the story about the Goddess Sword" said Zelda. "It was created by the Goddess Hylia, who was reincarnated as a distant ancestor of mine. As you know, my bloodline has traditionally been gifted with the Triforce of Wisdom. This was no accident. I have read a lot about the guardian spirit created by Hylia who lived within the Goddess Sword, and eventually the Master Sword. The spirit's name was Fi. According to every source that had come into contact with Fi in her brief time among the living, Fi had an extremely logical mind that was capable of solving the most difficult of problems. No calculation was too complex for her. The hero who served Hylia's will at the time replied heavily on Fi for her advice. In other words, she was the very embodiment of wisdom. Hylia didn't gift the sword with attributes of power or courage. No, she chose wisdom."

"So then the sword still lacks the balance of attributes needed then?" asked Link.

"Maybe not" said Zelda. "The hero who transformed the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword did something very interesting with it. He used it to defeat the Demon King Demise, and then absorb Demise and his sword's essence into the Master Sword. And it gets even more interesting. Demise's sword had its own guardian. He is known as Lord Ghirahim."

Link gasped. "That makes sense!" he exclaimed. "He was trapped inside my sword. So I suppose I lost whatever he added to my sword?"

"Not if it was a one-time imprint" replied Zelda. "From what I know of Ghirahim, the attribute he would have imprinted would undoubtedly be the attribute of power. That only leaves the attribute of courage. I'm not sure how that can be obtained but I would think that it would follow the pattern of the other two attributes and be linked to a guardian entity of sorts, like Fi or Ghirahim."

"But why would I even need a key?" asked Link. "The Triforce can be used just by touching it."

"Because the Triforce's balance requirement isn't the only safeguard it has against misuse. Who is to say that a person who possesses a balance of attributes will necessarily be a good person? We associate courage and wisdom with goodness but evil people can be courageous and wise too. In the event that the wrong person were to ever get their hands on the Triforce, we may only have one chance to walk the world back from the brink of ruin."

"That's a lot to think about" said Link. "Especially this attribute of courage that remains unaccounted for. Assuming the worst comes to pass, I would need to make sure that I am equipped to stop whatever trouble may arise."

Zelda pulled Link closer. "Well you won't have to do it alone. Not anymore."

When Zelda eventually fell asleep, Link soon began to drift off as well. His last waking thoughts were of a golden wolf.


	21. Chapter 21

Zelda awoke with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt a nagging pulse emanating from the Triforce of Wisdom on her hand. Knowing she would be unable to sleep without getting some fresh air, she quietly slipped out of bed, being careful not to wake Link.

The guards at her door both spun around, hands on the hilts of their swords when she emerged from the door. Upon seeing her face, they visibly relaxed. "Just out for a walk" she said to them. "I'm fine. Just keep guard over Link." The guards snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, Your Majesty!" they said in unison.

Zelda walked down the corridor. She didn't have a specific destination in mind as she walked through the castle, but she soon found herself headed towards the catacombs below ground. There was a morgue located at the entrance to the catacombs, where the bodies of the recently deceased were prepared for funerals. She nearly broke down weeping when she saw the body that was lying on top of the stone table in the center of the room.

It was the dead body of Serana. She had been dressed in elegant white robes. Makeup had been applied to her face, but Zelda could see that her hands were already starting to turn blue. Tears ran down Zelda's face as she grabbed Serana's lifeless hand and squeezed it. Zelda gasped when she felt the oddest sensation. She regained her concentration, and then she could feel it again. It was very faint, but Serana still had a pulse.

Suddenly, Serana's eyes flew open and she turned her head to look at Zelda. A low moan escaped her lips. Zelda tried to scream but her breath was caught in her chest. "Queen Zeldaaaa" whispered Serana with a heavy rasp. "I'm... dying."

"I thought you were already dead" said Zelda. "I examined you myself to be sure. This has to be another trick."

"You're right" said Serana, her voice slightly clearer now. "I should be dead. Kill me. Please."

Suddenly, Serana's whole body started twitching. When she stopped twitching, her eyes had rolled up in her head. "I can't!" she gasped. "Something is keeping me from death. It's as if my soul is stuck on the border between this world and the Spirit Realm."

"You aren't dying tonight" said Zelda. "I will see to that." She shut her eyes tightly as she squeezed both of Serana's clammy hands. She could sense Serana's soul. It was very faint, like it was slipping out of reach. Whatever evil magic had afflicted Serana was unlike anything that Zelda had ever encountered before. Life and death were pressing up against each other, trapping Serana's soul in between. The Triforce of Wisdom was like a beacon that pierced the thick fog that Zelda's mind was wandering through. The light of the Triforce snatched Serana's dwindling soul from the darkness that enshrouded it and pulled it back into her body.

Zelda felt the warmth return to Serana's hands. Suddenly, the light that was in her mind was physically present in the room. It condensed into a ball on the far side of the room. Both Zelda and Serana gazed at it in amazement. Wonder turned into worry as the light began to darken. It took on a golden-brown hue as it formed into a large disc. Zelda found herself suddenly unable to move. Laughter filled the room. A slender figure leaped out of the disc of light. He had light green skin and white hair. He was wearing a white jumpsuit with a diamond pattern cut into it. A red cape was wrapped around his neck.

"Thank you for bringing me here" said the strange man. "My name is Ghirahim. Well, Lord Ghirahim actually, but I'm not particular. When you go burrowing through dimensions like that, you're bound to dig up some unexpected treasure, like me."

Zelda still couldn't move her body but she found that she could still talk. "You expect me to believe this was accidental?"

"Of course, it wasn't accidental" said Ghirahim. "The spell the late great Vaati used on your chambermaid is normally fatal, but I arranged to keep her soul in limbo until you could bring her back. You just didn't know that you would be bringing me along too. Surprise! Now I have you right where I want you."

Ghirahim tunred his unnerving stare towards Serana. "And I have a purpose in mind for you too. I'm going to let you go so that you can run along and tell everyone that your Queen has been kidnapped by a fabulous man in a white jumpsuit. Hurry along now before I decide to use your arteries to tie up your Queen."

"Queen Zelda?" said Serana questioningly.

"Go!" ordered Zelda. "Tell Link!"

Serana stumbled out of the room, apparently still having difficulty walking after being a near-corpse for so long. Zelda turned her attention back to Ghirahim, who returned her angry stare by smiling and licking his lips. Ropes of light appeared around Zelda's limbs and torso. Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and Zelda's body was lifted into the air. She suddenly lurched forward. She was hurled into the golden-brown disc.

When she was lowered to the floor, she was no longer in Hyrule Castle. She was in a place that was far more opulent. The sheer decadence of her shiny surroundings would have been awe-inspiring even to her, if her mind weren't distracted by other thoughts right then. Almost everything in the room contained gold or precious jewels. She had to strain her neck just to see the ceiling.

"What can I say?" came Ghirahim's sickening voice from behind her. "I have a sense of style."

Zelda spun around to face him. She was surprised to discover that she had full control over her body once again. She tried to back away, but Ghirahim was quickly behind her once again. She was astounded by how fast he was. All she could see was a blur when he moved.

Ghirahim spun around in a complete circle, bowing and sweeping his arm around the room in an exaggerated flourish. "Welcome to my palace" he said. An ear-to-ear grin nearly split his face in two. "I would say that you will like it here, but you really won't."

"What do you want with me?" demanded Zelda.

Ghirahim cackled menacingly. "Don't play dumb with me, Queen! In addition to the Triforce of Wisdom that you possess, I want your lover to come after you, bringing his Triforce of Courage to me in the process. I will then have the complete Triforce, and that will be a glorious day indeed!"


	22. Chapter 22

Link squeezed the hilt of the Master Sword tightly until he could no longer feel his hand. He watched impatiently as the soldiers finished gathering in marching formation. Finally, Commander Soren approached Link, stopping in attention stance and saluting.

"My men are ready at your command, Master Link!"

Link still felt uneasy being a leader. He was surprised that these soldiers were actually looking to him for orders, given that he still had no official title to speak of. Of course, it was well-known throughout Hyrule by now that he was very important to the Queen, so Zelda's subjects naturally saw him as the closest stand-in for their beloved Queen.

"We leave immediately and without delay!" shouted Link to the assembled soldiers. "I intend to move at a very rapid pace. I apologize in advance for putting you all through such a grueling march, but with the Queen in enemy hands, we have no time to waste. Your job has always been to keep the peace, but this is war. You will be facing hordes of moblins who have terrorized innocent people for decades. I expect you to exterminate any moblins we come across with the most extreme ferocity you can muster. These beasts know no fear, but we will make them fear us. Now let's move!"

Link marched quickly. The soldiers behind him struggled to keep up with his pace. He gripped the hilt of the Master Sword as he walked. He fantasized about plunging the blade into this Lord Ghirahim character. If his intent had been to make Link angry, he had succeeded. Link intended to unleash his wrath in such a magnitude that nobody would ever again even think about harming Zelda.

When they finally arrived at the cave that was linked to Mormaht Castle, he carefully inspected the air in the cave until he found the faint glow of the ring he was looking for. He held up his hand and thrust it out towards the ring. The Triforce of Courage on his hand glowed brightly. The ring of light flashed briefly in resonance with the Triforce. A large mirror appeared within the ring. Without waiting to explain the concept to his men, he motioned for them to follow as he stepped through the mirror and emerged in Mormaht Castle. The soldiers soon got the idea and went through the mirror as well.

Link marched his army through the desolate lower floors of the castle until he found a staircase leading up to the inhabited floors. They were immediately spotted by several castle guards upon emerging into a large corridor. The first guard who spotted them shouted in alarm to the others. They quickly blockaded the corridor with weapons drawn and ready to defend. Link's men formed up behind him. Their weapons were also at the ready. Link stepped foward, his Master Sword still sheathed.

"Clearly, my men greatly outnumber you. It would be a futile waste of life for you to resist. I already eliminated your Count myself. We have no wish to conquer your city. We are just passing through. Let us speak with the person in charge and we can explain the situation to him."

The commanding officer whispered orders to one of the guards, who then turned around and walked away. The officer then addressed Link.

"I have sent a messenger to notify our new Count of your presence. What happens next will be his decision."

"We will wait" said Link, but then thoughts of Zelda's captivity seeped into his mind. "But not too long" he added.

"That sounds agreeable enough to me" said the officer. "What business do you have that requires you to be in our castle?"

"I'm hunting Lord Ghirahim" replied Link. "My men are with me to kill moblins."

The ranking officer burst out laughing. "Well there's one reason I hope the Count can resolve this standoff peacefully. You clearly have a death wish. I generally prefer not to fight men who have a death wish if it can be avoided. In all seriousness though, you don't know what you are getting into. Lord Ghirahim himself can destroy your entire army singlehandedly if he chooses to do so."

"I've dealt with powerful foes just like him before" replied Link.

The officer chuckled some more, shaking his head. "No, you haven't. Not like this. Lord Ghirahim is practically a deity. He is power in its purest form."

The words "power in its purest form" resonated with Link. It reminded him of Zelda's theory about the Master Sword. Link wondered whether Ghirahim really could have imprinted a key of some sort on his Master Sword. He didn't have long to ponder this. He saw Sir Gamelon walking rapidly in their direction. The crown he was wearing made it clear that he must be the new Count. He held up a hand and motioned for the guards to stand down.

"Link!" he exclaimed. "So good of you to return! I apologize for my men. I forgot to warn them about your arrival. The power transition has kept me rather busy, as I'm sure you understand. Now, where is your lovely Queen?"

"She was kidnapped by Lord Ghirahim" replied Link. "I am headed towards the Forsaken Lands to get her back. I have no desire to interfere with your city. We are just passing through. We will also need to pass through your castle again on our way back to Hyrule but we won't bother you and we will try to minimize the disturbance we cause."

Count Gamelon nodded. "I appreciate that very much. You and the Queen seemed like ernest people when we spoke last. I'm the conniving power-hungry person here, and I recognize which people are threats to my ambitions. You are not one of those people, so I don't anticipate a problem with your army. Just make your travel out of Mormaht quick. Having a foreign army linger too long makes the population restless. And to be honest, if you go looking for a fight with Lord Ghirahim, I don't expect you to be making a return trip."

Link thanked the Count for his courtesy, and then he led his men out of the castle and out of Mormaht entirely. As he had predicted, the men from Fire Valley had already abandoned their camp and left. Link didn't blame them. This wasn't their fight. He still would have appreciated their help, but with all the moblin trouble plaguing their land, he didn't want to keep them from their homes.

Link and his men soon arrived in an area where the forest came to an end and a sandy desert began. There was only rock and sand as far as the eye could see. Link turned towards his men to address them.

"Be on your guard from this point forward!" he shouted. "We have arrived in the Forsaken Lands!"


	23. Chapter 23

Zelda slipped a finger beneath her collar to scratch her neck. After her first attempt to escape, Ghirahim had put a wicked-looking amber-colored collar around her neck. If she strayed too far from Ghirahim, the collar would bring her down with a painful shock. Zelda knew this to be no bluff because she had tested it herself by trying to escape a second time. Ghirahim told her that he was amused at her persistence but warned her that if she ever made a third attempt, there would be much more painful consequences. As an illustration, he showed her a moblin whip that was used on human slaves. Zelda decided not to test him any further.

She was no longer in the palace. Ghirahim had put her in a tent located in the midst of a moblin war camp. Ghirahim assured her that the moblins wouldn't harm her unless he ordered them to. Zelda wasn't exactly comforted by that. She supposed that her quarters were Ghirahim's way of unnerving her. She was a Queen used to being pampered so he must have assumed that being captive in less hospitable quarters would break her spirit. He didn't know what she had already been through with Zant and Ganondorf. She would bide her time until the opportunity presented itself, and then she would find some way to sabotage Ghirahim's plans.

Ghirahim was a wildly unpredictable person, which caused Zelda to be even more on edge around him. She had seen him pummel a slave to death with his fists after the slave spilled some water. Another time, a slave had been blocking Ghirahim's way in the entryway of a tent. The slave hadn't seen Ghirahim coming, but Ghirahim had simply tapped the terrified slave on the shoulder and politely asked him to move. Zelda suspected that Ghirahim's unpredictability was intentional. It allowed him to retain his aura of mystery. It also made things difficult for Zelda. If she wanted to attack him, she would have to figure out more about him, but he was making that very difficult.

Ghirahim was currently taking her on a tour of the camp. It was massive. Tents were stretched out across the horizon as far as the eye could see. Ghirahim wanted her to see just how large his moblin army was, just in case she still had any thoughts of resisting. One look at the size of the camp was all Zelda needed to know that Hyrule would stand no chance if this army were to invade. The sight was imposing, but the stench was nauseating. Moblins were disgusting creatures, and the odor of the camp reflected this fact.

The worst part of all were the human screams of pain and terror that Zelda could hear in the distance. She knew that moblins took human slaves but being this close to their suffering was terrifying. Much to her dismay, Ghirahim led her closer to the source of the screams. It was coming from a cluster of large tents. Ghirahim threw open the flap to one of the tents. Zelda peered inside and saw blood-covered moblins doing the most awful things imaginable to the human captives. She turned around and vomited. Ghirahim smirked at her as he closed the tent flap.

"These are the torture tents" he explained. "The moblins already had a nice setup when I arrived, but I did teach them some tips for keeping their captives alive longer. Demonic magic has its uses, after all. As dimwitted as they may be in other things, moblins are surprisingly adept learners when it comes to making humans suffer."

"Why are you showing me this?" demanded Zelda.

"Leverage" replied Ghirahim. "You are very important for my plans but you also have the potential to be very troublesome for me. So, I will put the terms of your captivity to you very simply. If you are anything less than co-operative, I will put you in here for a few hours. I need you in one piece but there are ways of making you scream without drawing blood or breaking bones. Care for a demonstration?"

"No, that won't be necessary" replied a trembling Zelda. She was more terrified than she had ever been in her life. "I won't cause you any problems. What do you need from me?" Zelda hated letting this monster believe he had won, but she saw no other choice. He had total power over her, and it wouldn't do her any good to antagonize him.

"Right now I just need you as bait" said Ghirahim. "You have the Triforce of Wisdom embedded in your hand. I had considered simply cutting off your hand, especially with those fabulous fingernails, but alas, I have good reason to believe that doing so would cause your piece of the Triforce to disappear or even shatter. It's bound to you, and the only way to safely unbind it would be to have it merge with the other two pieces of the Triforce. Once your lover shows up to rescue you, I will merge my piece of the Triforce with yours and his. And if you don't fight me, I will let both of you go about your lives in peace. You can even remain in Hyrule Castle as a puppet leader, under my direction of course. That's how generous I am with those who help me."

"What makes you think my lover will be able to rescue me?" asked Zelda. "There is an army of moblins between me and him, in case you hadn't noticed."

Ghirahim chuckled. "Oh, I know all about Link. I doubt he will be stopped by these dumb beasts."

"But what if he is?" asked Zelda. "Link is a skilled fighter, but all it would take is one arrow that he doesn't see coming. If Link dies, and the Triforce of Courage disappears again, that would be a setback for your plans. Do you really want to risk that?"

Ghirahim nodded thoughtfully. "I know you are only saying this because you want to protect him. But nevertheless, you're right. I don't want to risk it. I will see to it that Link arrives safely."

Zelda breathed a heavy sigh of relief, grateful for the small victory. Whatever else may happen, she knew that at least Link would live.


	24. Chapter 24

"Moblins!" shouted Commander Soren. "Approaching from up ahead!" Link drew his Master Sword in unison with the soldiers. They formed a defensive fighting formation. Shields were raised and spears leveled at the approaching moblins. Link sensed something was wrong. He knew the Forsaken Lands contained a vast horde of moblins but the group approaching him were very few in number. Surely, they had no hope of actually prevailing in battle against Link and the Royal Guard. Link held up a hand and signaled for the archers to hold their fire.

"I think they want to talk" said Link. "I will walk out there to meet their leader."

"No, Master Link!" exclaimed Commander Soren. "It's too risky! Let me go instead."

Link shook his head. "I have been in risky situations before. You are welcome to join me but I'm still going." Commander Soren nodded wordlessly and saluted Link. He walked beside Link as they approached the moblins. Commander Soren didn't like having his sword sheathed but he followed Link's orders to keep it in its sheath. As they drew closer to the moblins, Link spotted a smaller figure among the hulking beasts. It was a wiry man with light-green skin who was wearing a white jumpsuit and flamboyant red cape. Link immediately realized that this must be Lord Ghirahim.

Suddenly, Ghirahim leaped into the air and landed inches away from Link. His face was uncomfortably close to Link's. Ghirahim grinned as he poked Link's forehead with a bony finger. "It's an honor to finally meet the legendary swordsman who defeated Ganondorf" said Ghirahim. "I'm actually quite the swordsman myself so I can respect your skill."

"Care to find out just how good I am with a sword?" asked Link.

Ghirahim shook his head. "Oh, you misunderstand my intentions. I think we can resolve things peacefully. I have your Queen safely back at the camp. If you co-co-operate with me, both you and her will be able to return safely back to Hyrule. I really have no interest in either of you beyond the pieces of the Triforce that you both possess."

"And what do you want with the Triforce?" demanded Link. "Do you really think I would allow you to use it to dominate the world?"

"But that's not what I want" said Ghirahim. "I already have a magnificent palace right here. The truth is that I'm a slave of sorts. My master is a powerful Demon King named Demise. Even after his death, he still has a hold over me. I just want to use the Triforce to destroy him permanently. I will even allow you to be the one to wield the Triforce to accomplish this. You can then leave here with your Queen. I will even open a portal for you to return to Hyrule. Besides, I have ways of forcing you to comply if it becomes necessary but I would rather avoid all that unpleasantness."

"Don't think I trust you" said Link. "I'm going to be watching you very carefully, but I will go with you. What about my men?"

"Your men are welcome among the camp, but they would probably prefer to stay on the outskirts. Once you see the camp, you will understand why. As for your Queen, I have her in a guarded tent. Coincidentally enough, her tent is located very close to the torture tents, should you require additional motivation to cooperate."

Link had to fight the urge to draw his sword. He wanted to kill Ghirahim. "You had better not harm her, or you will have to deal with me. I agree to come with you but only so I can bring Zelda back."

Link had his men follow Ghirahim and the moblins back to the moblin camp. They followed from a good distance away because none of the soldiers wanted to be close to a moblin. When they arrived at the camp, they were all astonished at the massive size of the camp. Ghirahim led Link and a few Royal Guards deeper into the camp until they arrived at Zelda's tent. The moblin guards stepped aside to allow Ghirahim access to the tent. He flung open the tent flap and poked his head inside.

"Oh, Your Highness! Come on out. Your lover is here to rescue you." Ghirahim erupted with laughter. Zelda came running out of the tent. When she saw Link, she jumped into his arms and embraced him tightly. "Oh, Link. I was so worried! Listen, I think we should cooperate with Ghirahim. I don't really see any other choice."

"I'm glad you see it that way" said Ghirahim. "Now, I think you should leave your guards here at the camp. Don't worry, they will remain unharmed. As for you, Link, and me, we will be going to my palace. An event as momentous as the merging together of all three Triforce pieces deserves a better backdrop than this dusty smelly camp. We will do this in style."


	25. Chapter 25

Ghirahim led Link and Zelda into a massive circular room made of white stone and supported by columns circling the inner perimeter. The ceiling contained panes of glass and mirrors, which illuminated the room with sunlight in ever-changing patterns. There was a small shallow moat of water surrounding the outer columns, and it was constantly circulating due to the presence of small fountains that were continuously spewing crystal clear water. It was the most beautiful room Link had ever seen, certainly rivaling anything in Hyrule Castle. The most striking feature of the room by far was the large half-wall near the back. It contained a cutout in the shape of the Triforce. Link realized that the entire room was designed specifically to house the Triforce.

"It looks like you intended this to be a permanent home for the Triforce" said Link. "That's not quite what I was led to believe."

"Oh?" Ghirahim raised an eyebrow.

"So when you said that I would be the one to wield the Triforce, you were lying?"

Ghirahim grinned wickedly. "Of course I lied. A sensible person would have figured that out, but not you. Oh no, you were too blinded by your concern for your Queen. You would have done anything to save her, even if it meant walking right into a trap and bringing me the complete Triforce."

Link felt his hand with the Triforce go numb. He held it up to look at it. The golden triangle on the back of his hand suddenly escaped from his skin. The light flew toward the wall with the Triforce-shaped cutout on the wall. The small golden triangle grew massively in size until it reached its true size and inserted itself into one of the triangle cutouts in the mold. Link looked over at Zelda just in time to see her piece of the Triforce stolen from her as well. Ghirahim laughed maniacally as he held up his hand to show Link and Zelda his Triforce of Power.

"I think I will hold onto my piece for now" said Ghirahim. "It saddens me to say that I cannot wield the full Triforce. I don't know what attributes I lack, but I don't have the balance required to use it. But that's fine. My master does. That's right, you fools! My master lives! The Demon King Demise will claim the Triforce and use it to dominate the world. But I will still keep my promise to allow you safe passage back to Hyrule."

Ghirahim flung his hand out and a large golden-brown disc appeared. "Enter this portal and you will be safely back in Hyrule Castle. So long as you don't interfere with my master's plans, you will be left in peace."

Link took Zelda's hand and looked into her eyes. "He has the Triforce, my Queen" said Link. "We have no choice. We will have to live with whatever comes next, but at least we will be together." A tear streamed down Zelda's cheek. She nodded her understanding. Link led her to the portal and then stepped back to allow her to enter first. Once Zelda was safely through, Link threw a punch as hard as he could. His fist connected with Ghirahim's face and knocked him off his feet. The portal instantly closed. "Goodbye, my Zelda" whispered Link. "I have to stay behind for this."

Ghirahim slowly stood up. His eyes were brimming with rage. "You stupid kid!" screamed Ghirahim. "I gave you your chance. Now I'm going to enjoy carving you up!" Ghirahim snapped his fingers and a long black curved sword appeared in his hand. Link responded by drawing the Master Sword. Ghirahim lunged towards Link and slashed at him with the black sword. Link narrowly parried the attack. Seeing an opening, Link pressed the counterattack, but Ghirahim was too fast for Link to make contact with his sword.

Ghirahim grinned as he easily dodged Link's sword slashes. Link was barely able to block Ghirahim's slashes. He eventually started to tire, but Ghirahim seemed to have unlimited energy. Suddenly Ghirahim pressed his palm against Link's chest and shoved him back.

"I admit you are the greatest opponent I have ever fought" said Ghirahim. "But now I must put an end to this and deal with more important matters. Goodbye, Link."

Ghirahim leaped backwards several times until he was a good distance from Link. He sneered as he crouched low, like a wolf preparing to pounce. Thoughts of a wolf pouncing gave Link an idea. He frantically searched his mind for the mortal draw technique. He knew what he had to do. He stood up straight and sheathed his sword. "Facing your death with dignity then?" remarked Ghirahim. "Well, you die either way."

Ghirahim charged forward. He ran faster than any man Link had ever seen. He was nothing more than a blur as he practically flew across the massive room. Link waited for the just the proper instant. When Ghirahim was almost upon him, Link quickly drew his sword and plunged in through Ghirahim's chest. Ghirahim's eyes widened. He was still alive.

Link summoned strength he didn't know he had as he threw Ghirahim through the air. As Ghirahim's back hit the heavy wooden door and started to bounce off of it, Link threw the Master Sword. This time, it pierced Ghirahim's neck and pinned him to the door. As Ghirahim struggled to unpin himself, Link grabbed the bow he had slung over his back. He quickly nocked an arrow and let it fly. The arrow unexpectedly began glowing with a golden light as it flew through the air. Link recognized this as a light arrow, the same kind used by Zelda in their fight against Ganondorf. He immediately fired another light arrow, and then another. Ghirahim's dying gasps escaped his lips before Link filled his body with light arrows.

Link walked over to Ghirahim and grabbed the hilt of his Master Sword. Suddenly, Ghirahim's eyes snapped open. "My master comes!" wailed the seemingly dead Ghirahim. Link pulled the Master Sword free. Ghirahim's body hit the floor and immediately began dissolving into a black mist. The mist soon recompiled itself in the shape of a gigantic black sword. Link stabbed the pommel of the sword with his Master Sword. It dissolved once again into mist, but this time the mist was absorbed into the Master Sword, as it had once been done many centuries before.

Link watched as the Triforce of Power began to rise from where Ghirahim had once been. Link stretched out his hand to touch the Triforce of Power, but it suddenly flew away from him. It turned into a ball of light and flew right through the stone walls of the room. Link knew it was being returned to Ghirahim's master, the true owner of the Triforce of Power.

Link realized what he had to do. "I need the strength for one final fight" he said. "Come to me now!" He heard heavy breathing behind him. He turned around and saw a golden wolf sitting on its hind legs. The wolf stood up and adopted an aggressive posture. Link held up his sword as the wolf pounced.

His vision momentarily went white and when he was able to see again, he was standing in a snowy land. The Hero's Shade was standing in front on him. The Hero's Shade was an animated skeleton. He was all that remained of Link's distant ancestor, whose soul had remained attached to the mortal realms in order to pass on his knowledge to one worthy of it. He was wearing a metal helmet and carrying a sword and a large circular shield.

"I understand you have need of me once more" said the Hero's Shade. "Tell me then, what is it exactly that you wish to gain from me?"

"Your courage" replied Link. "I will soon face the most powerful being the world has seen in centuries. I need your courage."

"I see" replied the shade. "It is only proper. Courage is defined by action. It comes from facing one's fears. I have long feared the day when my scant existence would be no more. I have held on to the mortal realms long past my time because I was filled with regret, filled with resentment, and filled with fear. I can pass along my courage to you only by first demonstrating it myself. Strike me down, Link! End my existence so that I may fulfill a greater purpose!"

Link nodded. He felt a sharp pang of regret as he lifted the Master Sword up high. "Farewell my friend" he said softly. With a mighty force, Link brought the Master Sword down on top of the shade's helmet. His sword cut through the helmet and cleaved the shade's skull in two. Its skeletal body exploded into dust. The shade's ancient sword levitated off the ground. Link shoved the tip of the Master Sword against this sword just as he had done with the large black sword that Ghirahim had turned into. The essence of this sword was absorbed into the Master Sword as well.

Link found himself back in the room in Ghirahim's palace with the incomplete Triforce. He raised the Master Sword to his eyes. It contained the essences of Ghirahim, Fi, and now the Hero's Shade. Power, wisdom, and courage resided in his blade. He was ready for whatever challenge was prepared for him next.

"There you are" said a familiar voice from behind him. Link spun around and came face-to-face with Zelda. Link gasped in shock. "How did you get here?" he asked.

"It was the strangest thing" replied Zelda. "A golden wolf appeared. It didn't speak but I heard its voice in my mind. It asked if I would like to return to you. I agreed. It suddenly pounced on me, and the next thing I knew, I was here. You appeared moments later."

"But why did you come back?" asked Link.

"I know what you are going to do" she said. "You plan to face Demise, but I refuse to let you do that alone. You are the love of my life and I will not abandon you. Even if it means that we both die today, I will stay by your side to the very end."


	26. Chapter 26

Link and Zelda stood confidently beside each other. Their faces were plastered with determination as they awaited the source of the lumbering footsteps they heard echoing through the palace. The heavy wooden doors to the room were suddenly flung open with such force that the wood splintered. A hulking monster stepped through the opening. He had grey skin and part of his body was covered in dark scales. His eyes were glowing orange, and his hair appeared to be made of fire. Link instantly knew that this could only be Demise, the one whose power gave rise to Ganondorf.

Demise acknowledged the presence of the two humans with no more than a disinterested grunt as he strode past them and walked right up to the incomplete Triforce. He lifted up a large stony fist. His Triforce of Power flew from his fist and grew in size until it was the same size as the other pieces. It was inserted into the cutout in the wall, alongside the other two pieces. The Triforce was now complete once more. Demise finally decided that the two humans were worth noticing. He turned to them, his stony face still expressionless.

"So I presume you are the ones responsible for killing my servant, Ghirahim" he said in a gravelly voice. "No matter. If he can be slain by a mere human, he deserved to die. He served his purpose." Demise turned his attention to the Master Sword in Link's hand. "Ah, now I know how Ghirahim was defeated. I recognize that sword. I fought a human who wielded that sword many centuries ago. I was careless and fought him before I had reached my full power, and he bested me. I was trapped within that sword for a very long time. I will not make the same mistake again. Once I have the power of the Triforce at my command, you both will serve me or you will die. I have the power, wisdom, and courage needed to take possession of this power, so it is time for me to claim what is rightfully mine."

Demise placed his hand on the full Triforce. The room was shaken by the sound of thunder. Demise let out a jubilant roar. "Ultimate power is mine at last!" he bellowed. Suddenly, the Triforce turned black for a few brief moments. It then returned back to his golden color. Demise gasped in surprise. "What is happening?" he asked aloud. "I am not able to move. What kind of trick is this?" Demise still had his hand stuck to the Triforce.

Zelda walked up to the Triforce and placed her hand on it. Link soon joined her and placed his hand on it last. "You may have the balance of attributes required" said Link. "But you do not have them in measures sufficient enough to overcome the trap I have laid for you. This will be your end, Demise. You have courage, but not enough to face me without seeking shelter under the power of the Triforce first. You have wisdom, but not enough to avoid walking right into this trap. You have power, but not enough to save yourself from the destruction we are about to unleash upon you."

Link drew the Master Sword and held the blade up to his forehead. "I'm counting on you" he whispered to the sword. He looked right into Demise's fiery eyes. "I should tell you about the Triforce you are trying to claim dominion over. Because it is derived from a careful balance of the essences of three goddesses, the Triforce may appear outwardly to be very simple, but it actually contains some very complex magic. Its existence is tied to reality itself. And because of this, it contains several magical safeguards to prevent misuse. The safeguard you knew about was that it requires a balance of the three vital attributes. Well, I activated a safeguard that you didn't know about. My Master Sword is now imprinted with the necessary attributes, giving it the ability to act as a key of sorts. The safeguard you knew about was just the outer layer. I used my key to unlock the inner layers, and then I altered the magic contained within. I activated a trap I designed just for you, and now I will turn the power you sought to claim against you and use it to utterly annihilate you. May you perish and never again be reborn!"

Link moved the tip of the sword close to the triangle he was touching. The triangle turned black as the Master Sword drew near, signaling to Link that this was the wrong one. He then moved it over to Demise's triangle and it also turned black. He finally moved it near Zelda's triangle and it turned white. Satisfied that he had the right triangle, Link shoved the blade of the Master Sword into the triangle. The light died out of that triangle and was sucked into the Master Sword.

"One down, two to go" said Link as he moved the Master Sword to Demise's triangle once more. It turned black again, but Link's turned white this time when he brought the Master Sword close to it. He shoved the blade through his triangle, and it too had the light sucked into the Master Sword. Finally there was just one left. Demise's triangle was white now, so Link used his sword to take that light too. The blade of the Master Sword was now glowing brilliantly white. The light radiating off of it was almost blinding in its intensity.

The three triangles of the Triforce were now a dull golden-brown color and lacking their usual glow. A black upside down triangle suddenly appeared in the space in the center of the three other triangles. "Step away from the Triforce, Zelda" he said softly. She did as he asked. He too removed his own hand from the Triforce and stepped back.

"What are you doing?" demanded Demise. "You don't know what you're doing! Stop it!"

Link let out a mighty yell as he drove his glowing blade into the black triangle. The light from the Master Sword overwhelmed the black triangle and turned it a golden color. The other three triangles then had their golden color returned. With the addition of this fourth piece of the Triforce, it was now one large triangle.

"I suppose we should call it the 'Tetraforce' now" remarked Zelda. Link nodded. "Makes sense to me, seeing as how I just added the fourth piece it has been missing all this time. Now we just have to let the completed Tetraforce finish this for us."

The Tetraforce suddenly erupted with a harsh burst of light. It enveloped Demise. His rocky skin began glowing red, like embers of a campfire. Soon his whole body was turned into flame as he was sucked into the Tetraforce. One final flash of light was emitted from the Tetraforce, as if in confirmation that Demise had been completely annihilated.

Link grabbed Zelda's hand. "It's over" he said. "After all of this, it's finally over. Let's go home."


	27. Chapter 27

Link and Zelda stood facing each other under the pavilion in the North Courtyard of Hyrule Castle. Link had once been told that Zelda had plans for him in this place, and those plans were finally being brought to fruition. He clasped both of Zelda's hands and held them gently as he stared into her adoring eyes. The feeling was mutual. He was wearing a dark green dress suit. He had initially thought he should wear something a little more common for these types of occasions, but Zelda insisted that dark green was a color that suited him well. Zelda was wearing a magnificent white and purple dress.

They were surrounded by familiar faces. Every member of the castle staff was present. So were most of the residents of Ordon Village. Link recognized a few faces from Kakariko village and some of the Gorons and Zora that were in attendance. Several of the people from Fire Valley were also present, as were dignitaries from Mormaht.

After Demise was destroyed, Link had used the Tetraforce to rid the Sacred Realm of its moblins. Exterminating them wholesale didn't sit easy with Link for some reason. Despite their horrible natures, Link was reluctant to completely destroy the moblins. Instead, he used the power of the Tetraforce to create a new realm, parallel to the Sacred Realm and sealed away all of the moblins in that new realm. They would live but they would never be able to harm anyone again. He had also been able to undo Ganondorf's disastrous intervention in the Spirit Realm that had caused Ghirahim to live in the Sacred Realm for ten years. The flow of time was altered in such a way that Ghirahim had never set foot in that world.

Despite being able to alter time, the Tetraforce itself existed outside of time. Therefore the fourth piece that Link had added remained intact. The Tetraforce now resided above Zelda's throne in the newly rebuilt throne room. Its magic had been altered by Link in a way that he hoped would prevent it from ever being misused.

Of all the things Link had done with the Tetraforce, the most meaningful to him was reconstructing the Mirror of Twilight. Despite Midna's initial wish that it remain permanently destroyed so that the Twilight Realm would stay separated forever, she was overjoyed to be reunited with Link and Zelda once more. As reigning Queen over the Twilight Realm, Midna was chosen to officiate Link and Zelda's royal wedding. She now stood beside both of them as she presided over the wedding. When the ceremony neared its completion, Midna made the official announcement.

"By my authority as Queen of the Twilight Realm, I declare these two souls to be wed!" she said with barely contained enthusiasm. "May the light of the Goddess shine on them forever!"

Link pulled Zelda close and kissed her passionately. He whispered something in her ear that was inaudible to everyone else, but the look in his eyes made his meaning clear enough. "We will soon" said Zelda. "But right now, we still have another ceremony to attend to."

"Other ceremony?" asked Link.

"Your coronation as King of Hyrule" replied Zelda with a grin. "You didn't think I would let you be my husband and still remain a goatherder, did you?"

THE END


End file.
